


Want || ReaderxTaemin (They/Them)

by AgentLin



Category: NCT (Band), NCT 127 - Fandom, NCT Dream, NCT U - Fandom, SHINee, WAYV
Genre: Criminal AU, Gen, Mafia AU, Multi, NCT 2020 AU, NEO CULTURE TECHNOLOGY - Freeform, Other, Reporter AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:48:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 34,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26658433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentLin/pseuds/AgentLin
Summary: When you were given the chance to jump start your career you took it, even though the task at hand was practically impossible. You walked blindly into danger, and sooner or later you'd have to face the consequences.
Relationships: Lee Taemin/Reader
Comments: 8
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

“You want me to do what?”

That’s how it all started. A simple request from your editor. You could have turned it down, but you were desperate for the chance of a promotion. You’d do anything to get ahead, and that was your mistake. You grabbed your things and caught a cab outside the office. On your way to your destination reality began to settle in. You were probably going to get nowhere with this assignment, but you pushed that thought back. You couldn’t go in with a negative mindset.

When you arrived at the police station you took a deep breath and prepared yourself. At the front desk you gave your name and reason for your visit, as well as introducing yourself as a reporter. The officer gave you a weird look and said they had to double check your request. You waited for quite a while before the officer had you follow them to one of the interrogation rooms. They gave you the usual speech about keeping your distance and not touching the convict.

“I don’t even know why he agreed to see you. He doesn’t talk to anyone.”

“Maybe he wants to talk to me.”

“Yeah, sure he does.”

They opened the door and let you walk in. The room was cold, illuminated by one light. A metal table in the center, two chairs, only one of them was empty. The convict in question was already seated, hands cuffed and chained to the table. They didn’t even glance in your direction when you entered, making it clear they weren’t interested in you. Regardless you took a seat in front of them, taking a moment to collect yourself. After all, you were in the presence of Lee Taemin, the most notorious criminal in the country.

“Hello, my name is y/n, I’m a reporter for the DR. I was wondering if you’d be willing to answer a few questions.”

“…”

“May I call you Taemin? Or is Mr. Lee more appropriate?”

“…”

“Mr. Lee it is. So, this isn’t your first arrest, but this is the first time you’re being charged with destruction of property. You broke into an antique shop, and completely trashed it. Seems pretty silly compared to the other crimes you’ve been accused of. Care to comment on why you did this?”

“…”

“Perhaps you can share your thoughts on the crime scene. You and your gang broke in, set off the alarms, and just destroyed everything. You didn’t try to steal anything, you didn’t even try to escape the police. Your gang ran off but you stayed behind in the shop. That’s kinda weird isn’t it? Aren’t they supposed to sacrifice themselves so you can escape?”

“…”

“Maybe we can talk about the supposed murder charge? A body was found at the crime scene. The police claim to have evidence that you killed the shop owner, and that this can lead to a proper investigation into the other allegations against you. It’s just a rumor of course, nothing’s official, but are you concerned something might come of this claim?”

You got nothing. Taemin didn’t look at you, he didn’t move, he didn’t react in any way to what you said. It’s like you weren’t even there, like you didn’t exist to him. The silence was making you uncomfortable. You had walked in with some confidence of maybe getting something out of him, but you should have known better. Taemin never spoke to anyone, only his lawyer, and even then, only in absolute private. Or at least that’s what everyone thought. 

You sighed in minor defeat, leaning back in your chair, twiddling your pen between your fingers, staring at your blank notebook. Nobody really knew anything about Taemin, besides the basics. He was somehow really rich, been arrested for a lot of minor things, always gets off without prosecution, only to wind up in chains again. Of course there were a lot of rumors and allegations that he’s involved in more dangerous things, but nothing has ever been proven.

“Can I be honest with you?”

“…”

“I don’t even know why I’m here.”

“…”

“My editor sent me to get a story on you, but you don’t talk to the press, you don’t talk to anyone. I knew that, and I took this assignment anyway, thinking… maybe I could do it, maybe I could finally prove myself in the office. But we all knew how this was going to end. Which means I was sent here to make a fool of myself, and I did.”

“…”

“I’m sorry for wasting your time Mr. Lee, I’m sure you’re waiting to speak with your lawyer. At least I can tell my editor I talked at you, so thanks for amusing me.”

You grabbed your things and packed up. You made a note to go eat something delicious to counteract the internal feeling of embarrassment you had. As you went to the door, ready to leave, you froze.

“There was a bird…”

Since Taemin never spoke to anyone, no one actually knew what his voice was like. You would never expect it to be soft like silk, or as sweet as honey, yet it was so beautiful.

“… locked in a cage, and I set it free.”

“Is that…” You turned around. “Is that why you broke into the antique shop?”

“It deserved to be free.”

You slowly returned to the table, sitting down. Taemin still hadn’t move, still hadn’t looked at you, but he was talking. You had to hold back your excitement, needing to remain professional now more than ever.

“If setting the bird free is what you wanted to do, why destroy everything else?”

“I don’t pity you.”

“What?”

“You confessed your struggles in an attempt to manipulate me, to make me pity you and talk.”

“Oh.” You realized what he meant. “That wasn’t my-”

“I’m not talking to you out of pity, but gratitude.”

“Gratitude?”

“I appreciate your honesty, and your willingness to open up to me. It shows trust.”

Taemin’s head slowly rose, and his eyes met yours. They were a beautiful dark brown, strong and piercing, as if he could see into your soul. He was just as magnificent as his voice, and you had the pleasure of being so close.

“I see, thank you Mr. Lee, do you-”

“Taemin… call me Taemin.”

“Of course, may I-”

“Say it.”

“What?”

“My name. I would like to hear it from your lips again.”

“Taemin… would it be alright if I recorded our conversation going forward?”

“No.”

“Ah… okay, I understand. Do you mind if I take notes?”

“No.”

“Thank you.” You grabbed your pen and notebook. “So, in regards to the shop, why did you destroy everything?”

“I didn’t. My gang… no… my servants, did. I believe it was a… cathartic… experience for them.”

“Is there evidence to support that?”

“Wrong question.”

“Okay. So, why didn’t you take anything? It was an antique shop, everything in there was quite valuable.”

“What one deems valuable, is an individual belief.”

“So nothing in there was valuable to you, or your servants.”

“I didn’t say that. You shouldn’t put words in my mouth… y/n.”

“My apologies. I didn’t mean to sound that way. I’m just trying to understand.”

“You are… aren’t you?”

“Yes, but I won’t write about anything you don’t want me to.”

“There was one thing of value. A diamond… I could barely hold it in the palm of my hand.”

“That must be a pretty big diamond.”

“It was beautiful, and my servants ran off with it before the police could show up.”

“Does that upset you? Being left behind?”

“We’re all alone, regardless of those we keep around us.”

“You must be an avid student of philosophy.”

“Does that tell you something about me?”

“It tells me you’re intelligent. May I ask about the body found at the crime scene?”

“What about it?”

“The police, and other news sources say you killed the shop owner. That you beat them to death, and that you’ll be prosecuted for it, and charged with murder. Of course, this is all speculation, and nothing official has come from the police investigating your case. Would you like to comment on this?”

“I didn’t kill anyone.”

“Is this your plea of innocence?”

“May I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Who’s going to believe you?”

“What?”

“Who’s going to believe that you actually got an interview with me?”

“I-”

“Your editor sent you on a foolish errand, expecting you to come back empty handed. Are you sure they’ll believe you spoke to me? They might just claim you’re lying, right?”

“… so you’re only talking to me… because no one will believe me…”

“Give me your notebook.”

“Huh?”

“Now.”

You were confused, but did as he asked. You put your pen atop your notebook and slid it over to him, still being mindful of the no contact rule. He grabbed the pen, looking over and reading your notes. He didn’t react to them, but then wrote something at the bottom of a page, and signed it. He slid the notebook back over to you, and read his message aloud.

“I, Lee Taemin, spoke with reporter y/n about my knowledge in regards to case 346 on the X of this month. I trust that they will write truthfully about our conversation and the details I provided.”

“And you signed…”

“My signature is public, and very unique. I also don’t hand it out. Consider that proof for your editor to take you seriously.”

“I… thank you… that’s very-”

“The diamond was not on display in the shop. It was in a wooden box underneath the counter.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t-”

“Has the official autopsy of the shop owner been released?”

“No, the police haven’t made that information public yet.”

“The cause of death was asphyxiation, and it was not by my hands. Although I am quite sure the police will want it to be blunt force trauma, easier to manipulate the evidence to incriminate me.”

“If that’s true then-”

“Do you have a business card?”

“What… ah, yes, yes I do.”

“May I have one?”

“Sure… of course.” You got one of your cards and slid it across the table. “But why have you-”

“It was very nice talking to you. Perhaps we can do it again sometime.”

“What?”

The door to the room suddenly opened, and the officer who brought you over was telling you that your time was up. You were still confused, trying to process everything that just got dropped on you, but the officer wasn’t going to wait. They grabbed your things and shoved them into your hands, pulling you out of the room.

“I wasn’t done talking with him.”

“You were.”

“Says who?”

“His lawyer.”

“What?”

You noticed a man in a suit walk past you and go into the room you had just been taken out of. You couldn’t say anything as the officer started to move you along, but you managed one last peek at Taemin when the door opened. You saw that he was holding your card, staring at it, something like intrigue in his eyes. Despite the rude interruption you thanked the officer for their assistance and left the station.

♥♥♥♥♥

You found a nearby park, taking a bench for yourself and collecting your thoughts. You looked over your notes, Taemin’s message and signature, as well as adding the information he had given you last minute. The bit about the diamond didn’t make sense, but neither did him telling you how the shop owner died. Regardless though, you were happy, you had a story, actually you had more than that. You had an exclusive interview with the criminal Lee Taemin, something no one else had.

After creating a basic outline for your piece you hailed a cab, heading back to the office. You stared out the window with a smile on your face, but in the back of your mind, the random information about the diamond, and the cause of death that may or may not be revealed truthfully, gnawed at you. Taemin was smart, he wouldn’t tell you those things without a purpose, he wanted you to do something with that information. You looked down at your notes, you had your story, you had Taemin’s signature, but you couldn’t help but wonder if all that would be good enough.

You suddenly apologized and asked the cab driver to take you somewhere else, to take you to the antique shop. When you arrived you could see there was still yellow police tape on the door and broken windows, but that wasn’t going to stop you. Instead you just pushed them aside and walked in, avoiding the glass and other sharp objects, also taking in what remained of the shop. You wanted to get to the counter, see if you could find the wooden box Taemin mentioned, but you were interrupted.

“Can I help you?”

Turns out you weren’t alone in the shop. Another person approached you, broom in hand. They didn’t seem upset, just curious over your sudden presence. You apologized for trespassing and properly introduced yourself.

“What’s a reporter doing here now?”

“Just following up on something. I don’t mean to sound rude, but why are you cleaning the place?”

“I own it, well, I do now.”

“Ah, so will you be reopening?”

“There’s nothing of value left. Those bastards destroyed everything, and I do mean everything. All you see around you, going straight to the trash.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“I wasn’t interested in the antiques business anyway, but the insurance money on this place can go into remodeling.”

“What will this become?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well I wish you luck. Would you mind if I looked around a bit?”

“Be my guest, just don’t hurt yourself.”

“Thank you.”

You continued your journey to the counter. It was pretty banged up, definitely beyond repair, but a wooden box caught your attention. You carefully picked it off the ground, the lid was gone, torn off its hinges and the box itself was empty. Yet the inside was black foam with a perfect indentation to hold a rather large diamond, certainly one that would barely fit in the palm of your hand.

“Excuse me, do you know what was in here.”

“In what?” The shopkeeper came over. “What is that? Some weird pyramid shape?”

“I believe its diamond shape. Did the previous owner sell diamonds?”

“No, they only had furniture and other trinkets, no jewelry stuff, not that I knew of anyway. Besides, a diamond that big can’t be real.”

“Must have been for decoration.”

You set the box down, wondering about the diamond. The shopkeeper was right, no one makes them that big, but the previous owner was hiding this for some reason. That became more apparent when you found the box lid, and a broken lock next to it. The diamond had value to the last owner, and it had value to Taemin, but you had no idea why. At least you knew the diamond was real, well, that the wooden box Taemin said held the diamond was, and that it did seem to hide a diamond. There wasn’t much else you could get from the shop, if anything it’s just a little bit of proof for you that Taemin didn’t lie.

Since you had all you needed, you figured it was time to go. You called out to the shopkeeper, thanking them for their time and letting you look around the shop. As you made your way out you noticed a birdcage on the floor. It was smashed, the little door ripped off its hinges. Out of everything around, it was pretty clear someone really beat into the cage until it was nearly unrecognizable. It seemed Taemin didn’t lie about the bird either, and this was the reason he broke into the shop in the first place.

“Sorry about your bird.”

“What bird?”

“Didn’t the old shop owner have a pet bird?”

“No, no pets, definitely not a bird.”

“Oh… I thought-”

“Are you talking about that birdcage? It was just one of those antique decoration things. I’m sure the toy bird is in pieces somewhere.”

“Thanks again, take care.”

You walked out of the shop, feeling more confused than before. Before you could even accept the obvious conclusion, you saw your answer. By the window stand there was a little metal bird, standing right next to the edge, looking out at the streets, free of its cage. The bird wasn’t real, but it was real enough for Taemin. You picked up the little thing, glancing at its demolished cage in the shop, a little smile creeping on your face.

“You’re free.”

♥♥♥♥♥

With one thing explored, you knew you had to get to the bottom of the other. Your next stop was the morgue. You knew a lot of reporters would go there for information, probably had connections too, but this would be your first time. Which meant you’d most likely wind up leaving empty handed. You approached the counter and greeted the front desk attendant. It was probably dumb but you gave your name and asked to see the shop owner’s body.

“You’re not related to the deceased, a police officer, or authorized press. I can’t let you see the body.”

“Okay… how much?”

“How much?”

“Yes.”

“For what?”

“You know… to see…”

The attendant scoffed. “Really? You watch too much TV, now get outta here.”

“Okay then how much to see the autopsy report?”

“Are you serious?”

“Is the doctor who did it here at least? Can I talk to them?”

“Look, you don’t have any authority to be here, so go before I call security.”

“I just want to talk to them. There’s no harm in that.”

“Doctors won’t disclose case details to civilians.”

“I am a reporter!”

“With no authorization to see anything in regards to this case.”

“Then how much are the police going to pay you guys to fake the autopsy report?”

“What?”

“This case involves Lee Taemin, and a false autopsy report that makes him out to be the murderer is exactly what the police want. That would be fraud and that’s illegal!”

“I’m calling security.”

“The cause of death was asphyxiation! And any legal report saying otherwise is fraudulent!”

The attendant had a phone in hand, calling for security as they said they would, when someone else suddenly hit the hang up button. Both you and the attendant looked over to see one of the morgue doctors with their hand on the phone base.

“You should have messaged me when you arrived, instead of making such a fuss. My apologies, I should have mentioned…” The doctor glanced over at the log in sheet. “Y/n was coming to see me around this time.” 

“You know this person?”

“Yes. Now if you’ll excuse us.”

The doctor opened the door for you and you were quick to enter. You followed them quietly, not sure yourself what was going on. You were led to an office and the doctor quickly ushered you inside, checking to make sure no one was roaming the halls then quickly shut the door and locked it. Now you were feeling a little bit of regret for not suggesting to talk in a more open area.

“How do you know the cause of death for the victim of case 346?”

“I… I saw some crime scene photos… that showed the body… very brutal… but blunt force trauma isn’t the cause of death… and you know that, right?”

“Crime scene photos…” The doctor seemed a bit nervous. “Is it that obvious?”

“Yes… yes it’s pretty obvious it was asphyxiation… and that it wasn’t Taemin.”

“Ugh… I know, the bruising on the victim’s neck suggests someone much bigger and heavier than Taemin killed them. If it’s so obvious in the crime scene photos then a false autopsy is pointless! Any medical professional called to testify in regards to the cause of death would point out the real cause immediately.”

“Have you written… the false autopsy?”

“No, but the police keep pressuring me.”

“I can understand where they’re coming from… but falsifying an autopsy to incriminate an innocent man…”

“Lee Taemin is not an innocent man.”

“Right, but he is in regards to this murder. I mean… who are you more afraid of? The police? Or Taemin?”

“What do you mean?”

“Surely Taemin knows the real cause of death, and if the prosecution attempts to charge him for murder on the basis of an autopsy that contradicts his testimony, his lawyer might motion for a second autopsy done by a doctor who has no ties to the police.”

“A second autopsy would reveal the asphyxiation and Taemin’s innocence… I’d be investigated… I’d lose my license for sure…”

“And you’d be on Taemin’s bad side. So who are you more afraid of? The police, or Taemin. You said the cause of death was obvious, don’t do something stupid that’ll jeopardize your career.”

“… you said you were a reporter… are you gonna write a story on this?”

“Yes… but I won’t… I won’t quote you as a source. I already have proof of the real cause of death, the crime scene photos, which you certainly have physical copies of, right?”

“Yes, yes, but… I can’t give them to you, they’re official!”

“I can just make copies.”

“They’d know it was me.”

“No they won’t, I already saw those photos remember, on the internet, stuff gets leaked all the time. I just need the copies so I can attach them to my piece.”

“I don’t know…”

“Look, if I run my story, with evidence, before the police make a public announcement, others like me, other doctors, will see that the cause of death was asphyxiation, so the police will have to be honest with the autopsy report. If not, there will be plenty of people to call them out on it, and it will look bad on law enforcement as a whole, so they won’t risk it.”

“But what if people don’t care?”

“Well… as much as it… well it’s weird… but some people out there really like Taemin, they’d fight back for him if they had solid evidence that he was being framed. Heck, even if Taemin was guilty, they’d still fight for him to stay out of jail somehow.”

“I don’t know…”

“I am trying to help you. If you give me copies of the crime scene photos I can take the choice out of your hands. You won’t have to make any fraudulent papers, and you won’t piss off Taemin. Just let me make some copies of the photos, and tell me how Taemin didn’t kill this person, and we’re good. Your name won’t be anywhere near my report.”

“You swear?”

“Yeah, I’ve never been to a morgue, being near dead bodies freaks me out.”

♥♥♥♥♥

“So let me get this straight… you got, you actually got, Lee Taemin to talk to you, and not just that, he told you how the shop owner died, which hasn’t been revealed to the public yet, and that he didn’t do it.”

“… yes…”

“And with all that, instead of coming back here, you went to the morgue, and tricked the autopsy doctor into giving you details that admit the real cause of death proves Taemin’s innocence, while also getting copies of official crime scene photos.”

“… yes…”

“Do you know what that is? What you’ve done?”

“I…”

“That’s some damn good reporter work.”

“What?”

“You got an exclusive interview for the DR, and evidence that proves the most notorious criminal of our country didn’t kill someone, when rumors say the police have evidence he did. This is going to be the best article we’ve ever written.”

“I… thank you, I knew-”

“I want you to get started on this right away. This paper better be on my desk before you leave today, got it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, cause tomorrow, all the news stations are gonna be talking about us.”

♥♥♥♥♥

You had never written so many drafts for one article in your whole life. This had to be perfect, there was no room for error cause this was it for you, your big break. Any of the higher ups would know to promote you, and this would raise the popularity of the DR by a lot. It would also go down in the history books, so you knew you had to be proud of what you turned in. You also never had so much sugar in your life, but after hours of hard work you were done. 

You printed out your finished piece, placing the physical copy on your editor’s desk, and also sending them an email with your article attached. It was night when you finally stepped out of the office. That’s when you remembered you forgot to eat something delicious as you got sidetracked investigating Taemin’s case. You definitely deserved something more delicious now, but what you really wanted was to go home to your bed.

When you got home you put your things away and made your way straight to the bedroom. You somehow managed to get out of your clothes and into some pajamas. The second your head hit the pillow you were out. You slept peacefully through the night, looking forward to all the good things that would come in the morning. Yet when the sun rose, rays of light creeping into your bedroom through the blinds, you had no idea what would become of those good things.

Usually you wake to your alarm, this time, you woke to your phone ringing. You managed to reach over to the nightstand to grab it, not recognizing the number. You figure some news group had gotten your number and was trying to reach you. After all. you had interviewed Taemin, no one else was going to get that lucky, and they had a better chance of talking to you than him. Despite declining the call your phone kept ringing, and it was the same number, so it was clear this person wasn’t gonna give up. You finally caved and sat up in bed, answering the phone with a yawn.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Lee would like to see you.”

“Wa… what?”

“Come by the station around noon, he’ll be expecting you.”

“Wait what? Who is this? How did you-”

The line went dead and you stared at your phone for a moment before calling them back. Except you didn’t get a response, just a message that the line was not in service. You could try to delude yourself all you wanted but you knew exactly who Mr. Lee was in reference too. If that was the case, then the phone call made sense, you left him your number, so you probably just talked to his lawyer. You thought it was strange that he’d reach out to you, but you couldn’t deny the sense of intrigue it gave you.

You turned on the TV and set it to the nearest news channel. Also setting a reminder about your meeting with Taemin later before hopping into the shower. When you finished you could hear the news talking about the DR and your article, everyone so fascinated to get a glimpse into the criminal’s mind, and also intrigued by the evidence of his innocence. You felt so proud of yourself, wondering if the office will throw you a little party to celebrate.

You grabbed a quick breakfast out of your kitchen and then headed out. On the ride to work you looked up the article on your phone, curious about the comments, and that’s when everything came crashing down. When your ride came to a stop you threw some cash at the driver, more than enough, and stormed up to the office. There was absolutely a party going on given the loud noises coming from the break room and numerous empty desks. You ignored it all though, and went straight to your own.

You took the tablet on your desk and pulled up the article, then grabbed a hard copy of your work you had printed out just to be safe. You made your way over to your editor’s office, just waltzing right in. They didn’t acknowledge you, not like they ever did before, but this time was different, this time was an insult. You slammed their laptop shut then shoved the tablet into their hands and put your hard copy down atop his laptop.

“What the fuck is this!”

“What?” They looked at the tablet. “Our top article since the company started?”

“Don’t fuck with me right now! This is not my article! You changed it into tabloid garbage!”

“The article needed more flare.”

“Bullshit! This was my article! I did the interview, I did the work, I got the evidence! Me! Alone! Yet you change it, and even have the guts to put someone else on the byline! What the fuck!”

“No one cares who’s on the byline, it’s all about the story.”

“I care! This was my big break! You gave me this assignment, and I did it. Despite you intentionally sending me on a wild goose chase.” 

“Look, I did this for your own good. You think just cause you got a big story you’re a hotshot now? All you did was your job. Why would I reward you for something I already pay you to do? I’m not gonna let this article go to your head, okay, so just relax. Go have some cake in the break room and enjoy yourself, alright.”

“Fuck you!”

You grabbed his laptop and threw it against the fucken wall, definitely breaking it. You were beyond piss and you absolutely wanted to punch your asshole of a boss right now.

“What the fuck, y/n! That was my laptop!”

“You can afford a fucken new one when your bonus for increasing popularity comes in, popularity you got thanks to me!”

“If this is going to be you today then get the fuck out of my office and go the fuck home!”

“Make me!”

“Yeah? Then go grab your fucken things, you’re on disciplinary leave until further notice!”

“Fuck you!”

“Go!”

Before you could shout another profanity your phone went off. You didn’t check it but you caught a glimpse at the clock on the wall, and knew it was your reminder. You flipped off your editor, taking your hard copy, grabbing your things and leaving. You had an important appointment to keep, and on the drive over your rage slowly turned to pain. Everything good about yesterday was ruined, and now you had to face Taemin, who surely has gotten his hands on the article by now.

When you got to the station you checked in and were immediately taken to an interrogation room. You stopped halfway there though, actually scared of seeing Taemin, but knowing you had no choice. You were let in, and it was just like before, except this time Taemin wasn’t staring at the table, but a print out of the article. You swallowed nervously and slowly approached, taking your seat across from him.

“I trusted you…” His voice sent chills down your spine. “… to write about me, not whoever this is.”

Taemin slid over the article, certain parts of it highlighted, especially the byline. You were frozen in fear, feeling like you were trapped when he was the one in chains.

“I’m disappointed. I thought you were being honesty with me but-”

Taemin stopped himself when he noticed drops of water falling onto the paper, then realizing you were quietly crying. You couldn’t take the pain anymore, and having Taemin be the one scolding you softly, it just broke the dam. Your editor used you and stole your work just to benefit themselves and the company. You felt like a fool for even thinking things would go your way for once in your miserable life.

“… I’m sorry…”

“Are you…”

“I didn’t mean… for this to happen… I wouldn’t do this to you… after… after you gave me a chance… I did everything right… and I thought… I thought… gosh I’m so stupid…” You wiped away some tears, refusing to look at Taemin. “I spent hours on my piece, only to have my editor fucken change it last minute and put someone else on the byline.”

“…”

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Mr. Lee, I’ve wasted your time and messed with… I’ve been an annoyance and I promise not to bother you again. I’ll see what I can do about getting this article removed.” You stood up. “My sincerest apologies for breaking your trust.”

You bowed and then rushed out of the room, ignoring the officer who was posted outside and just leaving the station. You had to get home, you just couldn’t deal with anything else. You were strong enough to hold back more tears until you were home. That’s when you collapsed to your knees and started screaming. You should have seen it coming considering how much of a dick your editor has always been, but this, you didn’t think they’d stoop so low.

The rest of the day slipped away as you laid on the floor, defeated. You had no intention of moving, that is until your hunger got the best of you. Still, you didn’t plan to eat much, just enough to quiet the pain. At least you could deal with that. As you munched on your snacks, realizing it was dark out, your phone began to ring. You ignored it, but just like in the morning, it was fucken persistent. You didn’t even bother checking the ID and just answered.

“Listen here you bitch! You wouldn’t even have a job in this profession if not for me!”

“What… what the fuck are you talking about?”

“My sources in the station told me you talked to Taemin, AGAIN, today. So I know you fucken did this!”

“Did what!”

“It’s all over the fucken news! You-”

When you found the TV remote you ended the call, finding the nearest news channel. You had been hoping to avoid more talk about your butchered article, but this was different.

_‘Early this morning an article was released by the DR claiming to contain an exclusive interview with the one and only Lee Taemin. Furthermore, it contained evidence that advocates Mr. Lee’s innocent in regards to the supposed murder charge over his head. Police have yet to make an official statement on the matter but given the attention on it now, one is to be expected very soon. Yet the police aren’t the only group currently under fire for misconduct. An hour ago, Mr. Lee’s lawyer released an official statement from Mr. Lee himself, saying, and I quote “despite supporting my innocence on the matter at hand, I never spoke to any form of press, nor have I ever given an interview to the reporter from the DR who wrote that article on me. I am insulted these people would take advantage of the public for the sake of boosting their numbers, there is clearly no honor or sense of morality in those who would use others for their own gain” end quote. Minutes after the release of this statement the article was pulled off the DR site by public demand, and now that same public is demanding an explanation for the article and an official apology to their subscribers and Lee Taemin himself.’_

You were still upset, but you couldn’t help but laugh. With this all over the news, you knew your editor was in huge trouble with the company. You probably weren’t going to hear from them ever again. Although you were really just glad the article was gone, even if Taemin took it down himself. The news report picked up your mood a bit, so you ordered some food and put a movie on. You weren’t going to work anytime soon, so you could look forward to a break.

♥♥♥♥♥

You wound up sleeping on the couch, the TV on all night, bits of food still in your mouth. You only woke when your morning alarm went off, but you ignored it, given that you didn’t have a job at the moment. Of course you didn’t actually want to get up and find your phone so you just let it ring until it shut off. You turned the TV off and curled up back on the couch, going back to sleep. That’s pretty much how you spent that day, in and out of sleep, being a comfy couch potato.

There was no harm in taking a day or two to yourself, you honestly weren’t expecting to go back to work, so you’d need to look for options later. Although you didn’t get much of a break, the day after your sleep in, your morning was interrupted by knocking on the door. You had shut off your phone after the alarm the other day, but it seemed someone needed your attention. Since you didn’t care you took your time, ignoring how aggressive the knocking was getting, when you opened the door you were met with two people.

“Hello, I’m detective Kim, and this is my partner, detective Seo. May we come in?”

“What? No… no, why are you here?”

“That’s complicated, and it’s best we speak in private.”

“Look, I’m not interested in anything you have to say. So unless you have a warrant or something, you can go. I’m pretty busy today as is.”

“With what? You’re on disciplinary leave.”

You scoffed. “Really? I choose what to do with my time, so if you’ll excuse me.”

“Does that include another trip to the morgue?”

“The what?”

“We have security footage, an eyewitness account, and visitor logs that say you went to the morgue and spoke with the consulting doctor on case 346, Mr. Lee Taemin’s case. Would you like to talk about that at the station?”

“Can I get you something to drink?”

You left the door open, the detectives letting themselves in, and went to the kitchen. You started the coffee pot, grabbing some juice out of the fridge for yourself.

“Leave the doctor out of this, please, I tricked them, and I was just-”

“They’re not who we’re interested in, you are.”

“I figured, since you’re here. Are you going to charge me with something?”

“No. In fact we would like your assistance.”

“Me? What can I possibly do for you?”

“You’re the only person who Taemin has spoken two, twice now. That’s impressive.”

“It’s really not, considering all the trouble it’s caused…”

“Have you seen the news recently?”

“No. I’m taking a break from life.”

“Well, if you had, you’d know the police released an official statement in regards to case 346.”

“Oh really? What did they decide to say?”

“The cause of death for the shop owner was asphyxiation, and Lee Taemin is not the killer.”

“I could have told you that.”

“Yes you got the information from Taemin and did the research, only to hand it to your coworker.”

“Is that what you think happened? My work, my words, and my byline was stolen from me. Why do you think Taemin released a statement against that article. He wasn’t too happy to be associated with that tabloid bullshit.”

“So you wrote the article? Well, you were supposed to anyway.”

“You said you wanted my help? For what?”

You got two mugs out of your cupboard and gave each detective some coffee, figured it was early enough that they’d need it. 

“As I said before, you’re the only person Taemin has talked to, in fact you’re the only person he seems interested in speaking with.”

“So?”

“Since Taemin isn’t the murderer, it means we still have a killer to catch. He is the only witness to the crime and he refuses to speak to us. We need you to talk to him.”

“You want me to get information out of him, seriously? You’re the detectives here, not me. Investigating murder is your job. Besides you have leads, surely the contusions on the victims neck can help you build a profile on your killer. Also, Taemin broke into the shop with his servants, so get a search warrant for his house and go from there.”

“You are aware that very little information is known about Taemin. He has no residence, no property to his name. After the trial he will be released and disappear until his next arrest.”

“Oh… right… but that’s still your problem. I already fucked up his trust, and I will not bother him again. Especially not over something like this.”

“There is a murderer out there and you can help us catch them.”

“No, Taemin can, but he doesn’t want to talk to you, so do some old fashion police work and find the killer yourselves.”

“If you don’t want to talk to him, that’s fine, we can go down to the station and talk about your theft charges.”

“Really?”

“You do us this favor and we drop all charges.”

“And you won’t ever use them against me again?”

“You have my word.”

“I just need to talk to him, try to get him to tell me about the murder?”

“Yes.”

“Fine, let me freshen up a bit. Make yourselves at home while you wait.”

♥♥♥♥♥

It’s not that you didn’t want to see Taemin, but you knew you already fucked up with him. Besides, you were basically being threatened, so you had no real choice. You dressed and grabbed your things, going with the detectives to the station. This time around you waited in the interrogation room. You were anxious, fiddling with your fingers, but when the door opened. You didn’t need to see Taemin to know he was here, the sound of chains was enough, and you didn’t intend to look at him.

Instead you bowed your head to him, for the first time noticing his legs were actually cuffed together, so walking wasn’t easy for him. You waited for him to sit before you took your seat. You knew he was staring down at the table like he always did, but you still didn’t think it was worth it to even watch him. It was quiet, you knew the detectives were on the other side of the glass, but you didn’t want to give them what they wanted, they just wanted you to try.

“I apologize for being here Mr. Lee, it was not my intention to bother you, but I had no choice. I’m sure by now you’ve heard about your confirmed innocence in regards to the shop owner’s murder, but of course that puts the investigation back to square one.”

“…”

“Two detectives came to my place today and said if I didn’t come talk to you they’d charge me for theft in regards to the photos I got from the morgue.”

“…”

“So I’m here, talking to you, but you don’t actually have to tell me anything. I really didn’t want to annoy you anymore, but I suppose me being here is a bit selfish, and for that I apologize. I hope everything goes well with your trial, and thank you for giving me a chance, even though I blew it.”

You were about to get up when you noticed Taemin’s hand slip into your field of vision. He gestured for you to give him something, and you immediately knew what he meant. You pulled out your pen and notebook and handed it over to him. He wrote something down and slid it back. When you looked down you were confused, but Taemin never gave you straight answers.

“Thank you.”

You bowed to him and headed out. The second you stepped out the detectives swarmed you and took the notebook from you. They seemed eager but that quickly faded as they saw what Taemin had written.

“What is this?”

“A clue.”

“This is nonsense.”

“Did you expect him to give you a description? And then point someone out in a lineup? You gotta read into the message.”

“Useless.”

“Hey, I got you something, even if that really wasn’t what you wanted. So are we done here?”

“Yeah, yeah you’re free to go, and don’t leave the country.”

“Okay… can I have my notebook back?”

“We’ll hang onto this.”

“What? But… you know what, keep it.”

♥♥♥♥♥

Your original plan was for Taemin not to tell you anything, you didn’t want to be used by these assholes. Yet, you were honest to Taemin and he still gave you something, maybe he still trusted you. If that was the case, then what he wrote was meant for you to decipher and investigate. You used your phone to jot down what he had written for you.

_‘See No Evil. Hear No Evil. Speak No Evil.’_

_‘Within the cage, beyond the darkness, the secrets of the dead remain.’_

You knew Taemin was trying to tell you something here, but you needed to think. It was getting pretty late so you went somewhere to get food, thinking over his words. You focused on the first line, it was a rather common phrase used to send a message of virtue. To remain strong and good despite all the evil around you. To not see it, to not hear it, and to not speak of it, because you know nothing of evil.

“That’s it!”

Your sudden outburst brought some glances your way, but you ignored it, you figured out what Taemin meant. The phrase is his way of telling you he didn’t actually see the murder, or hear it, therefore he can’t talk about it, he doesn’t know anything. Of course he’d tell you this, the police surely wouldn’t believe him, which meant you’d have to prove it somehow. That must mean the second line should lead you to the evidence, but this clue was a lot harder to decipher.

Taemin told you this cause he trusts you can solve it, which means this is based on knowledge he knows you have. You stared at the words, as if the answer would just magically appear in your brain. It was giving you a headache so you took a step back. You needed a different approach, so you broke down the phrase, seeing if you can understand it better in pieces. 

You figured secrets meant evidence, since that’s what you were looking for in real life, and in regards to the phrase. If that was the case, then the dead had the secrets, the dead had the evidence you needed. The only dead person that came to mind was the shop owner, and then you remembered the cage. The little bird cage that Taemin destroyed, the one from the shop. He was telling you that cage held the secrets you needed to uncover, the evidence you needed to find.

You returned to the antique shop. It was late, the whole street seemed empty, but you didn’t concern yourself. The place was still a mess, but it seemed all the glass and smaller things had been cleaned up. You stepped inside, using your phone as a flashlight, looking around for the metal cage. When you found it you examined it, but there was nothing special about it. It didn’t make sense, the only connection between a cage and the dead was this shop. You looked around at the mess, you felt that you were right, just looking into the wrong place.

You thought of the cage, and the little bird that had been inside. Taemin left it at the window, at the edge of the shop, where it could fly away and be free. Except it didn’t fly away, it was still trapped, waiting by the window, waiting for someone to help it be free. You took in your surroundings as you realized the shop was the cage, and in here, beyond the darkness, somewhere, the shop owner had hid something, and kept it a secret. The first thing that came to mind with that was the wooden box that held the diamond.

You found the box and lid exactly where you had left it. This was a secret the shop owner had, but you weren’t sure if this was what you were meant to find. You examined the box more closely, removing the foam, and that’s where you found it. Beneath the foam was a bunch of wires and computer chips, but more importantly a pressure plate. Which meant something was supposed to happen when the diamond was removed. You examined the contraption some more and managed to find a logo engraved into one of the chips.

A quick internet search revealed the log belonged to a tech company, one that specialized in security. You could have guessed that, but it didn’t explain the pressure plate. It had already been activated, but perhaps you could trigger it again. You used your hand, and quite a lot of force to push the plate down. You held it down until you heard this click, and then you released it. You didn’t know what you were expecting, but nothing happened, then you heard it. There were two beeps and you looked around for the source.

You stopped when you noticed a faint red light in the distance. You approached it, finding something to climb, and seeing this little ord buried and hidden in the wall, a secret camera. You couldn’t believe it, and quickly searched for the other one, since there were two beeps, there had to be two cameras in the shop. You found the other and took it off the wall as well. They were still on, which meant they must have recorded the break in, or at least some of it since they wouldn’t be activated until the diamond was taken. 

If that was true though, and the purpose of this camera, it meant the shop owner cared more about the diamond than the antiques. And Taemin led you here, which meant he knew about the secret cameras too, he knew the diamond had value to the shop owner, and it’s the only thing he took. You needed to see the footage, but you knew you couldn’t go to the police, not until you knew for sure what these things had recorded. You couldn’t trust the police not to try and mess with this too.

You took the box and the cameras, going home with them. Once there you began to examine them. The first thing you noticed was that they were off, so they were never designed to record long. While you fiddled with the cameras you found a USB port, quickly searching for your laptop and a cable. You connected the camera, but were met with a login screen. You had no idea what the password was, and you certainly weren’t sure you could guess correctly. Just to be sure you checked the other camera, but the same came up when you plugged it in.

You were at a bit of a dead end, but you couldn’t give up so easily. After a moment you grabbed your phone and called the tech company that made the cameras. You hoped maybe customer support would help you. The phone rang for a while before you got an answer. You explained that you had forgotten the password on your cameras and were hoping they could help you recover the footage. You were worried they’d ask for some information you couldn’t provide, like an account number, but all you were asked for was the serial number on the cameras, you were even told where to find them. That was all it took to get the passwords.

Once you were in you could see that the cameras only recorded thirty minutes at a time, and each recording was dated. There were only two, the one from today, and the other from the break in, and that’s what you needed to look at. The footage started, showing that the shop was already trashed, and that Taemin was at the counter, holding the diamond in his hands. After a moment of admiration he handed it over to one of his servants and it seems they left then and there. With that out of the way Taemin grabbed a sledgehammer and dragged it across the floor over to birdcage. He opened the gate and grabbed the bird. 

For a moment he disappeared outside the cameras range, probably placing the bird by the window. When he returned it seemed he was preparing to break the cage when someone else suddenly entered the shop through the back door, the owner. They were yelling, but the cameras didn’t record sound. Taemin wasn’t interested in the shop owner, and his servants were quick to grab them and drag them into the back room. You watched as Taemin destroyed the cage with a passion, tossing the sledgehammer aside when he was done.

He called for his servants, seeing them all return to the main shop and leave. He was alone, twirling around the broken shop before collapsing onto some sheets on the floor, waiting for the police. This footage proved he didn’t see who killed the shop owner. One of his servants surely did, but he wouldn’t know which one. Even if the police had a profile for the murderer, all the servants were covering their face. This was just proof of Taemin’s innocence, but then you saw it. 

The shop owner stumbled into the frame, leaning against the door frame behind the counter. They were badly beaten, but clearly alive. Taemin hadn’t noticed their presence, might not have even heard them. Before you could think about the situation unfolding before your eyes you saw a hooded figure come up from behind the shop owner. They dragged the owner back into the other room. Minutes later the police arrived and arrested Taemin, and that’s where the footage ended. You knew the report, no one else was found in the building, just the dead owner. You quickly checked the other camera, but it recorded the same thing, just from a different angle.

You found what Taemin wanted, but you weren’t sure he had any idea about the real murderer. You downloaded the footage off the cameras and onto your laptop. You wound up pacing around the place, not exactly sure what to do with this information. You had to go to the police, you knew that, but this changed everything. You found a notebook and started jotting down your thoughts, needing to figure this out before telling any type of authority. You were so focused that when your phone rang you screamed. It took a second to calm yourself down but then you answered.

“Is this y/n?”

“Who’s asking?”

“I apologize for the early call.”

“Early? It’s…” You looked at the time on your phone. “… five in the morning…”

“Yes. We haven’t met yet, but I’m your new chief editor.”

“New?”

“Yes, given what happened with the last chief editor, a replacement was overdue. Your records say you’re on disciplinary leave, but I can fix that. Would you be able to meet me in the office later today?”

“What for?”

“Just to discuss the situation and get you your job back. I don’t want to talk about this over the phone, so could you meet me?”

“Um… sure… does ten work for you?”

“That’s good. I look forward to meeting you.”

“Yeah.”

They hung up and you stared at your phone. You weren’t exactly sure you wanted to go back to that job, but it wouldn’t hurt to hear what they have to say. You still had some time before you needed to go and you decided to take a quick nap, given you had unknowingly stayed up all night. When you got to the office you were a bit hesitant to go in, the place having left a bad taste in your mouth. Regardless you pushed through and went up. There was no party this time, but everyone certainly gave you a cold look.

You ignored them and went to the chief editor’s office. You knocked and waited to be let in. You were greeted with a smile and welcomed in, this new person seeming very excited to see you. They gestured for you to sit down, and started by introducing themselves. Also telling you about their career so you could be sure they were qualified for the position, and that they weren’t anything like your old editor. So you could be sure they wouldn’t screw you over. But of course then came what you were expecting.

“On behalf of the DR, and the company as a whole, we’d like to apologize for the unprofessional behavior and misconduct your previous editor took part in. The note of disciplinary leave will be removed from your record, and you can return to work.”

“So that’s it? I just get an apology from you and the company?”

“Not quite.” A hardcopy of your original article was placed on the desk, the one you left for the old editor. “I found this in the trash. After reading the first paragraph I could tell you’re a talented reporter, and that you certainly have a future in this career. Now the DR is going to issue an official statement and apology over what happened, tomorrow, and we would like to publish your original article with it.”

“So you think… I’m just going to give you my original article, as if this place didn’t fuck me over.” You scoffed. “I don’t even know if I want to come back to this job.”

“I understand your frustration and uncertainty, but this is good for you. The original article would go well with the apology and explanation. It would also be your big break. Everyone in this industry would take you seriously, you have the story of the century here.”

“And without my article your apology wouldn’t do much to save your reputation. Would it?”

“I get your upset, beyond upset in fact, but this is my proposal to you. We publish your article, you come back to work, get that long overdue promotion, and really start making a name for yourself in this career. It’s a big decision, so I want you to take a day and think about it. Come back tomorrow and we can talk about what comes next. Does that sound good?”

“Yeah… yeah I have a lot on my mind right now.”

“Well, thanks for coming and hearing me out.”

♥♥♥♥♥

Leaving the office was just as unnerving. It seemed like everyone was mad at you, and it was making the idea of returning a bad one. You didn’t go home straight away, finding a park to walk around, and think. As long as the article was yours, truly yours, Taemin wouldn’t say anything to refute it. Which meant it didn’t need to be published under the DR. Surely any other news group would jump at the chance to have you, but at the same time, the possibility that you’re lying about Taemin is enough for them to turn you away. No one else wants to get screwed over, or wind up on Taemin’s bad side.

When you finally went home you found an envelope on the floor. It had been slipped under your door. There was no name or postage on it, so it was hand delivered. You sat down on your couch and opened it up, finding a hardcopy of your article, and Taemin’s scribbles on it. There was a note on the cover page, Taemin explaining you had dropped it when you rushed out of the interrogation room. He had read through it, multiple times, and made some notes on how to improve it. He also made a note to tell you he liked it, and would like to see it published, that way all your hard work wasn’t in vain, and his trust in you wasn’t misplaced.

You stared at your article, and knew that no matter what, you needed to do right by Taemin. You spent the rest of the day rewriting your article, and also starting a new one. The police needed to see the camera footage, but you needed assurance that they wouldn’t try to sweep the truth under the rug. You wrote a new article, talking about the footage and editing it so it can go with your words and point out the important bits. You were absolutely exhausted by the time you finished, preparing for bed, and hoping you had the confidence to go through with your plan the next day.

♥♥♥♥♥

Just as you promised, you returned to the office in the morning. You ignored your coworkers, knowing that they were just going to have to get over themselves, cause you had no intention to leave. That is, if you could trust your new editor.

“I’ll come back, and you can publish my article, on one condition.”

“And what would that be?”

“I get to publish another one.”

“About what?”

“Taemin, and the truth about the murder that night.”

“I’m listening.”

After setting things up at work you went to the police station, asking to see detectives Kim and Seo, having important information for them. You didn’t wait long, and then presented them with the cameras, explaining how you solved Taemin’s little riddle and discovered them. Of course you demanded to see the footage on the cameras too. They were hesitant but ultimately agreed, going with them to their tech department to access the cameras. You all watched the footage, seeing that Taemin was no witness to murder, and that none of his servants were killers.

“For fucks sake.” Detective Seo exclaimed. “This gives us nothing.”

“What? But… but it’s proof. Taemin doesn’t know anything of value, and no one with him that night killed the shop owner.”

“Alright, so Taemin is no witness.” Detective Kim said. “So we offer him a deal to give up one of his associates as the killer and be done with this.”

“What! You can’t be serious? The real killer is still out there and has nothing to do with Taemin!”

“We have nothing on this real killer, and if we tell the public the real culprit is still at large and we have no leads, there will be panic.”

“So you’re just going to lie? And actually offer Taemin a deal? Weren’t you trying to pin this murder on him once upon a time?”

“The public is already anxious and calling our work into question thanks to that article, so the sooner we wrap this up, the better.”

“So you’re just going to admit this to me? A reporter?”

“You have nothing to back up your claim this time. And you won’t be speaking to Taemin again, just like you originally wanted.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Thank you for all your help with this investigation, we really appreciate it.”

“Fuck you.”

As you walked out of the station you made a call to your editor. You kind of hoped this would be unnecessary, but your gut was right in the end.

“How did it go?”

“As expected. Make your company statement and publish my article. You can also run my other piece.”

“Excellent. Congratulations y/n, you just made history.”

♥♥♥♥♥

_‘Hours ago the DR finally made an official apology over the fraudulent Lee Taemin exclusive article. It seems the interview was in fact real, but the original piece was manipulated and given to someone else out of greed and personal gain. Both individuals associated with this fake report have been removed from their positions in the DR. Furthermore, the original article was published along with the statement, revealing a real glimpse into Lee Taemin. As expected, he’s a complex individual. Yet this is not where the Taemin exclusives stop. Another article was published moments after the apology by the same reporter who interviewed Taemin. This piece showed security footage from that night, revealing that none of Taemin’s associates are in fact the killer. So who is this hooded figure? What reason did they have to murder an innocent person? And what are the police doing to catch them?’_

♥♥♥♥♥

This was what you imagined would happen when you first wrote your article. You’d get a promotion, you’d get recognition, and you’d finally be seen as a real reporter. That all came to pass, but there was so much more you weren’t expecting. With your name now attached to all things Taemin, a bunch of news channels wanted to interview you, and many others reached out as well. Of course, despite all these offers, and opportunities, you turned them down. You weren’t going to use Taemin as a means to get ahead. He gave you your start, and you were grateful, you weren’t gonna take advantage of his kindness.

“Mr. Lee would like to see you.”

Ever since your big break you had been expecting a phone call from Taemin’s lawyer. Well, you weren’t expecting it, but you kind of hoped for it. You wanted to thank Taemin in person, and you also knew the detectives who said they’d keep you from him no longer had a good reason to. You were also sure Taemin’s lawyer would get involved if you were denied visitations. So on your lunch break you went down to the station. Given all the buzz on Taemin recently, many reporters waited outside the station, hoping to catch Taemin’s lawyer, or you. Everyone knew who you were now, and that the notorious criminal Taemin only spoke to you.

“Will you be seeing Taemin today?”

“What does he have to say about the police work surrounding him?”

“Any comments on the other things Taemin has been accused of doing?”

“Why you?”

“What do you talk to Taemin about?”

You were swarmed by questions and reporters the second you got out of the cab. At this point you were used to ignoring them, merely offering a polite smile and making your way through them. The police officers knew you too, so they let you pass, helping you get out of the crowd. You checked in like usual and went to see Taemin. You felt nervous, like it was the first time you were seeing him.

“I just… I just really want to thank you for trusting me. I certainly didn’t deserve your kindness, but I’m very grateful for it.”

“Can you… can you say my name?”

“Of course, yes, of course, Taemin. I don’t say it much, do I?”

“No… we don’t see each other much… this is only the fourth time.”

“It is… isn’t it.” You laughed. “You’ve done so much for me and yet I barely know you. And that’s not me asking you to open up to me Taemin, just a funny observation.”

“You have a nice laugh… I’m glad I could hear it.”

“Thank you, Taemin. Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

“Hm?”

“Why are you still here? The only thing you can be charged for is destruction of property. You should have been released by now.”

“Well… you’ve stirred things up in my case… twice now…”

“Oh, right… sorry…”

“I should be thanking you… you’re keeping the police honest…”

“I’m glad I could help you. Taemin.”

“Besides… they’ve been purposely delaying my trial…”

“What? Why?”

“They feel better… having me behind bars…”

“That’s not right. You didn’t do anything major. You should-”

“No need to get involved this time… promise me.”

“Okay, I won’t get involved.”

“Promise.”

“I promise I won’t get involved, Taemin. Cross my heart.”

“Thank you.”

“I hope you get out of this place soon.”

“Will I no longer be seeing you?”

“I’ll come whenever you call, promise. Even once you’re out too, if you want.”

“I’d like that.”

♥♥♥♥♥

Once again, as you were leaving the station, you were swarmed by reporters. Thankfully you didn’t have to go far, one of the officers was kind enough to hail down a cab for you, so you just needed to get to the street.

“What’s your relationship with Taemin?” One reporter asked. “Are you providing him with favors in exchange for information?”

“What?!” You couldn’t help but respond. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Are you and Taemin dating?”

“What is he like as a lover?”

“Do you intend to keep in touch once he’s released.”

Everything was so quick to shift, all the reporters were quick to jump on the notion that you and Taemin were more than acquaintances. You were frozen for a moment, overwhelmed by new questions before frantically pushing your way to the cab. You were out of breath when you finally made it, using the ride back to work to calm yourself down. This couldn’t wait and you called your editor.

“We have a problem.”

“What?”

“I’ll be back in like ten minutes, you better not be doing something.”

“I’ll clear my desk for you.”

“Yeah, and stay off the internet until we talk.”

“What? Why? What happened?”

“Just trust me, please.”

“Alright, I’ll see you soon.”

You rushed back to the office, avoiding your coworkers and heading straight for your editors office. You were once again out of breath, grabbing water from his mini fridge and drinking half of it in one go.

“Are you alright?”

“I got swarmed by reporters.”

“That tends to happen to you now. I don’t see-”

“One of them suggested I was… I was sleeping with Taemin for information.”

“Oh.”

“And everyone else immediately jumped on that idea too. Fuck.” You sat down. “That’s gonna be all over the web in a few minutes, if it isn’t already.”

“Come on, you had to expect a story like that to come out eventually.”

“You know something like that is going to bring into question my entire career. What little there is.”

“This whole Taemin thing is gonna die down eventually, and you know it. I mean, why do you even go to see him? You made it very clear you weren’t going to do another story on him.”

“Cause he asked to… besides, I wanted to thank him in person, for everything.”

“Well you’ve done that now. If you really don’t want this gaining traction, then don’t go back. Right now this is just word of mouth, the second someone snaps a picture of you near that station, it’s gonna blow up.”

“You’re right…”

“Yeah, you launched your career, helped him out, and thanked him for it. This is the perfect time to part ways.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get what you’re saying.”

“How about you take the rest of the week off? Get out of the public eye, and rest.”

“I’d like that very much.”

“Alright, just wrap up anything you’ve been working on today, and I’ll see you Monday.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

You wound up staying in the office till night. You were tired, but at least you could sleep in. Since you’d be staying home you might as well cook for yourself. You needed a few things so after leaving the office you went to a grocery store near your place, you only needed a shopping basket for this trip. You grabbed what you needed, along with some snacks, and started your walk home. You knew these streets, so you felt safe on them, even though you really weren’t.

As you passed an alley you were grabbed and dragged out of sight. You lost your grip on your grocery bag, shoved against a wall. Before you could really process anything else there was a knife against your throat. You couldn’t identify your attacker, a hood, hat, and mask concealing their face, but you could at least describe their voice if needed. That is if fear didn’t consume you and make you do something rash.

“What has he told you?!”

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Don’t lie! You’re that reporter, what has Taemin told you?”

“Nah… nothing… we… we only discussed… the case… his current case… I don’t… I don’t know anything else… we’re not… we’re not friends…”

“But you’re sleeping with him!”

“No… no I’m not… we just… we just talk…”

“Has he told you anything about his other activities!”

“No! No I just… I just know rumors… but… but I’ve never brought... brought them up… I don’t… I don’t want to upset him… or-”

Your attacker was pulled away from you by another. They collapsed to the ground, dropping their knife. They looked back at you and the other person who helped you. Perhaps they’d strike, but thought better of it, grabbing their knife and running off.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

You were too freaked out to care, not wanting to be near anyone else. Instead of answering this person’s concern you ran off, wanting to get home as soon as possible. You didn’t stop moving, or feeling panic until you got to your place, locking the door behind you. That’s when you finally let yourself catch your breath, hands on your throat to make sure you weren’t bleeding. It wasn’t until then that you finally realized what you had done.

You got Taemin, the Lee Taemin, to talk to you, to put some trust in you. He gave you an exclusive, he basically launched your career, and your name was now attached to his. Of course that’s attracted attention, but you had forgotten who he was, and the kind of people he associates with. You were a target now for all kinds of things, and all of this just because you didn’t think of the consequences that come with being close to a notorious criminal. You got jumped by some stranger, you could’ve been killed. Tonight you got lucky but you knew that wouldn’t be the last time you’d wind up in a situation like that.

You hadn’t noticed the tears, the only sound was your own heartbeat, louder than ever in your ears. You didn’t know how long it took you to calm down, but once you steadied yourself you managed to get to your room, getting in the shower to cool off. It was a good thing you didn’t have to leave the house for the next few days, but you knew home wasn’t exactly the safest place either. You had trouble sleeping, debating whether or not it was a good thing. In the end you wound up sitting in the living room, watching TV all night long, munching on snacks, and keeping a knife close by.

Eventually your body’s natural need for sleep took over. It made you feel better that by the time you passed out the sun was out, so the world wasn’t as scary. You were deep in sleep that your phone ringing multiple times didn’t wake you. What ultimately got you off the couch was when you rolled off. It startled you awake and you quickly grabbed the knife and shot up, as if you were under attack. To say you were on edge was an understatement, but once you assured yourself you were alone you could let yourself relax. 

You set the knife on the coffee table and turned on the TV. You didn’t pick a channel but of course it was on the news. It was pretty late in the afternoon, and you made your way to the kitchen to get something to eat. A bunch of wrappers were discarded around, as well as a half empty coffee pot. You grabbed a cold drink out of the fridge, needing to wake up. There wasn’t anything planned for the day, but you certainly needed to call your editor and tell them about last night. 

Once you had something in your stomach you went back to the couch, drink in hand, and looked around for your phone. When you found it you noticed that your editor had been trying to call you all morning and left multiple voicemails. Before you could play one the TV caught your attention, you grabbed the remote and turned up the volume, listening intently.

_‘We just received reports that previous employees of the DR, the reporter who wrote a false article on Lee Taemin, and the chief editor at the time, were hospitalized two nights ago after separate violent assault incidents. It is speculated this was a hit orchestrated by Taemin himself, although he’s been behind bars for the past week. Nonetheless it seems the victims succumbed to their injuries and passed away a few hours ago.’_

Speculation they said, but you knew, and everyone else probably knew that Taemin killed those two. Nothing had yet to prove Taemin was a killer, or drug dealer, or weapons distributor, but his ominous reputation certainly led to fear. No one ever wanted to cross Taemin, you’d wind up dead if you did. It didn’t even cross your mind that your coworker and old editor would actually be punished for manipulating your interview with Taemin. You were only worried about yourself at the time, and now those who wronged you were dead.

You played a voicemail from your editor, and they were talking about what you had just seen on the news. The DR had known those two got injured and were monitoring their recoveries. Both parties should have actually recovered, but something happened in the hospital and then they were both dead. They were assholes, and yet you couldn’t help but feel guilty over their deaths. Just as that feeling came up, your editor on the voicemail told you not to blame yourself. They crossed the line when they chose to mess with the article.

Even without the guilt, this was another reminder of who Taemin really was, a criminal, a criminal with dangerous connections. He showed himself as soft and sweet, but that was all just a lie, a way to gain your trust. If it hadn’t been for you the police probably would have gone to trial with a murder charge on him, and even if that didn’t work out they would have offered him a deal to give up one of his own. Instead you cleared him and his associates of all murder charges, and also made sure the public knew the truth. Which also led to the police being called into question over how they handle their cases.

You’ve helped him out a lot more than you realized, and certainly caused trouble for law enforcement to his amusement. You had to quit while you were ahead, you had to cut ties with Taemin before you got involved with something much worse. But at the same time would that upset him and make you a target. A new wave of fear came over you as you came to realize you were trapped, you blindly walked into danger, and there was no easy way out. 

♥♥♥♥♥

You locked yourself at home, not even able to enjoy the break you were given. At least the paranoia faded as you began to think logically about your situation. The public knew about you, and would certainly be keeping tabs in their own way, so if something happened to you, everyone would know, maybe. Although that kinda shield wouldn’t be one to frighten Taemin off, so it was just a possibility to hold on to. 

You also told your editor about what happened, and that you weren’t exactly safe at home. They promised to keep tabs on you, even suggesting working from home, but you weren’t gonna corner yourself. Even though you were scared, you had to take control of your life, you had to make a choice. The one thing you dreaded the most was a phone call, and when it came, you were prepared. Or as prepared as you could be.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Lee would like to see you.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t. I’m really busy with work, my apologies.”

This time around you hung up first, and your heart was pounding in your chest. A part of you screamed you shouldn’t have done that, but you needed to be strong. If you actually wanted to get out of this mess, you needed time to examine all your options without any outside influence. At the start of the next week you returned to work. You were a lot more aware of your surroundings now, feeling like everyone was your enemy. You tried not to be tense, but fear was certainly at the front of your mind whenever you were out in public.

You were cautious at all times, but days went by with nothing happening. No swarm of reporters, no assaults, not even a call from Taemin. It wasn’t a relief, just constantly kept you on edge. Although everyday without an incident, you could use logic to convince yourself nothing bad was going to happen. Given enough time you’d probably believe what you were telling yourself, but that wasn’t an option. One night, you woke to a knock at your door, and immediately you knew that wasn’t a good thing.

You grabbed the knife from your nightstand, going to the door. There was a stranger outside your place, and it seemed they wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. They knocked louder this time, and you cautiously opened the door, only letting your face be visible. To help you out, you put on a tired face, acting as if you had just woken up and weren’t actually wide awake hiding a knife behind your back.

“Mr. Lee wants to see you.”

“What…”

“Let’s go.”

“I… it’s late, and…” You didn’t want to go, you couldn’t go, but the fact that someone was physically at your place to collect you was not a good sign. “I’m not dressed and I have-”

“Now.”

They pushed the door open with enough force to knock you back. You fell to the floor, the knife slipping out of your hand. They noticed your weapon, amused, but then grabbed you. Your first instinct was to scream, but there was quickly a gag in your mouth. You wound up dragged out of your place, kicking and thrashing, trying to break free, but your strength was no match. You were thrown into the back of a van, two others there with you, tying you down. There was no point fighting, so you stopped, just anxiously waiting for what would happen next.

The van drove for a while, and eventually came to a stop. When you stepped out you found yourself in a back alley. It seemed familiar, but you couldn’t dwell on it long as you were being shoved inside a building. You probably should have messaged someone about the late night visit, so you were absolutely screwed. When you got inside you were a bit surprised, you knew this place, it was the police station, and you had been brought in through the back.

You were still gagged, hands tied together, being escorted by two strangers through a police station, a place covered in security cameras. Those who had brought you didn’t seem fazed at all by where you were, and that just added another level of danger to Taemin. Since you know where you were, you figured you’d get put in an interrogation room to wait. At least they untied you and removed the gag, but you still felt shy in your pajamas, wishing you could cover yourself up.

When the door opened you expected Taemin, and stood, but instead, three others walked in. You instinctively stepped back, only to be shoved back into the chair, your hands cuffed and chained to the table. You screamed at them, but in the end you wound up trapped. You tugged on the restraints, but it just hurt your wrists, so you stopped. The more time passed, the more anxious you felt. You were going insane, every bad scenario running through your head. Since you were distracted by your own thoughts, when the door opened it startled you.

“Taemin…”

He was different. This time you were the one in chains, he was free, the only sign of crime was the jumpsuit. His eyes stared into yours, but it gave nothing away. There was no facial expression either to tell you what he was thinking. You swallowed nervously, lowering your head, feeling that you shouldn’t even be looking at him. He shut the door, and you’ve never felt more trapped. You expected him to sit down, but instead he came up behind you, his hand gently placed atop your head. You were frozen in fear, biting your lip. Then he started petting you.

“You promised… to come see me… whenever I wanted…” You were too scared to speak. “I was… worried… about you, when I was told you were attacked… I wanted to see you, to make sure you were alright… but you refused me… you lied to me…”

“…”

“Said you were busy with work… but you were home… doing nothing… that really hurt… so I had no choice… but to bring you to me…” He pulled your head back and looked down on you, his eyes locked with yours. “Are you scared of me?”

You couldn’t hold back anymore, letting out a sob, the first tears starting to fall. You were terrified beyond comprehension, and his stare. Cold, and calm, but being so close, you could see the mischief. He wasn’t upset over your outburst, slowly reaching over with his other hand, wiping away some of the tears.

“You cried to me when your editor messed up the article… you didn’t let me see your tears… but I doubt they would have been as beautiful as these… these… I created… they’re mine…”

Taemin leaned down and kissed your cheek, getting a taste of your tears, and your skin. You flinched when he got close, but he held you in place. He stayed close, taking in your scent.

“Please…” Your voice was shaky. “Please… let me go…”

“Let you go? After everything we’ve been through?”

Taemin laughed, clearly amused by your request. It was such a soft laugh, but malicious nonetheless, and it sent chills down your spine.

“I made you famous… you wouldn’t be anyone without me…” His hands trailed down your body, caressing you. “… how can I just let my beautiful creation go?”

Without meaning to you pulled on your restraints, wanting to get away, but of course you got nowhere. You just made Taemin laugh again, getting another kiss on the cheek. This time though he peppered a few more kisses on your face, trailing down to your neck. You bit your lip to keep from making noise, and you wound up breaking skin. When Taemin noticed the blood he smiled and kissed your lips, tugging on the injury and tasting your life essence. It stung, but you couldn’t do anything to stop him.

“You shouldn’t waste a drop…” His eyes lingered on your lips, watching another dot of blood bloom. “Did you read the papers? They say you’re sleeping with me… tell me… have you dreamed of me?”

“… no…”

“Would you like to?”

“I…” His hand was on your thigh, a childish smile on his face. “Don’t…”

“Of course… I have no intention to ruin you.” Taemin caressed your cheek, wiping away some more silent tears. “I leave a lasting impression on those I like… you’ll dream of me now…”

Taemin quietly gazed at you, as if he was trying to memorize every inch of your face. When his eyes met yours again he smiled, and it was sincere. He kissed your head and walked away. You heard the door open, waiting for it to close, but Taemin had one last message for you.

“Let’s meet again… after my trial… somewhere nice… and don’t forget… this is our secret y/n… I’ll see you soon…”

The door closing echoed in your mind. There was no escape, and any bit of delusional hope had been crushed. Taemin wasn’t going to let you go, the second he spoke to you, his mind was made up. You were so lost you didn’t care about the others who came in the room and removed your restraints. Your body was on autopilot as you were taken back home, as if nothing happened.

“Mr. Lee looks forward to your future reunion, and hopes you won’t do anything stupid till then.”

You just nodded, standing in your living room, the others showing themselves out. You somehow made it to your bedroom, curling up atop the sheets. It took a moment for you to come down, for the dam to break, and the fear to eat you alive. Your life was no longer your own.

♥♥♥♥♥

“Why me?”

“Cause you need a distraction.”

You scoffed. “From what?”

“You know what.”

Your gaze fell to the floor. It took you time to be yourself again, but even then things had changed. Your spark was gone, and your editor noticed right away. You weren’t supposed to tell anyone, but you had to, and your editor wasn’t just going to accept whatever excuse you gave them. They were the only person who knew your situation, so they knew how you felt about Taemin’s trial that day.

“He’ll be released tomorrow…” You mumbled. “Then… who knows…”

“So why don’t you take the assignment?”

“Cause I should be drowning in alcohol right now. Besides, you know I’ve never done press conferences before, you’re better off sending someone else. I appreciate the thought though.”

“I can’t send anyone else.”

“Why not?”

“Because one of the companies requested you specifically.” Your editor placed a press pass on the desk, with your name on it. “You’re the only reporter I can send.”

“Seriously?”

“This company already set it up, no other DR reporter is allowed but you.”

“And you don’t think this is strange?”

“Oh it’s very weird, but what choice do I have? Someone needs to represent us, and the only one who can do that is you.”

“Yeah… lucky me…”

“Look, if I could send someone else, I would, but my hands are tied. I need you to do this.”

“I don’t… all the major tech companies are going to be there… what the hell am I supposed to ask about? I know nothing about the most recent technologies, or projects they’re working on. You’d be sending me in blind.”

“Pretty much. Take notes, listen intently, I don’t need you to get answers, just a summary of the event. Can you do that?”

“I suppose.” You grabbed the press pass. “I’ll see what research I can come up with on the ride over.”

“Thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah, save it for when I get back and actually have something for you.”

♥♥♥♥♥

Your editor grossly underestimated how big this press conference was, and that you were under dressed. You wound up at the biggest, and most expensive, hotel in the area. The whole building was practically closed off for this event, only authorized personnel. You actually felt nervous walking up to the doors, as if you’d be denied entry. You weren’t, and nothing could prepare you for the inside. It was the most luxurious place you had been in, and you’d certainly never be able to come back on your own.

The press conference hadn’t started yet, so everyone was mingling about in the lobby. There were tables against the wall with drinks and finger food that you could help yourself to. You felt like a fish out of water. You knew what companies were present today, but you were unfamiliar with their staff, and didn’t feel like making a bad impression on anyone. So you helped yourself to some of the food, planning to avoid everyone and just observe this whole event quietly. Although that was easier said than done. Even though you were isolating yourself and staying in the background, you still felt eyes on you.

It was a bit unnerving, and you were sure someone would have kicked you out by now if not for the press pass around your neck. You had to ignore the stares, telling yourself it was all in your head, and no one actually cared about you. At least your editor was right, this was certainly distracting you from the other big event going on today. Someone made an announcement that the conference would start in fifteen minutes. You certainly wanted to get some more food before then. You returned to the table browsing when your eyes landed on a pink haired gentlemen. You didn’t mean to stare but there was something about them.

“Can I help you?”

“What? No, I mean, my apologies. I didn’t mean to stare… you just seem familiar…”

“Have you ever been to a press conference like this before?”

“No.”

“Then it’s unlikely we’ve ever met before today.”

You seemed to have flustered them a bit, and they walked away. It was a strange interaction but you pushed it out of your head. When the press conference start was ten minutes out, the company employees were asked to take their seats first and prepare their points. That’s when you were able to distinguish press from employees. Some went around to grab their associates and then made their way to the venue. A few more glances were thrown your way by some but you didn’t think much of it.

Once all the companies were ready, the press was allowed in, taking any seat they could find. You stuck to the back, knowing you wouldn’t be interacting with anyone during the Q&A portion of the conference. When things began you used your phone to record audio, and listened, taking note of what you thought was important. Even if you didn’t understand everything, you definitely could understand the excitement over all these projects and the possibilities they bring with them. 

The Q&A was certainly insightful and gave more details for some of the projects. Even though you knew nothing of tech, you were confident you could write a good piece on the conference. When it ended the companies were allowed to leave first. Some used doors that led back to the lobby, and others left the building, not everyone was still up for chatting. When the press was given the all clear to go you were one of the first up and out, which was your mistake.

You weren’t in a hurry, looking over your notes and taking off your pass, so you wound up swarmed at the door. All the other reporters shoved you aside, and eventually managed to knock you down. You wanted to yell, but you didn’t want the attention. You looked around for your things, grabbing your notebook and looking around for your press pass. When you spotted it you crawled to it a few steps before you saw someone pick it. You quickly stood and approached the gentlemen.

“Are you lost?”

“What? No, I… that’s my press pass.”

“Oh, well…” They looked at the pass. “Lucky you.”

“Huh?”

“It says here you’re supposed to go to another room for an exclusive interview with one of the companies after the conference.”

“Really?” You took the pass. “I didn’t notice that before. You wouldn’t happen to know how I could get there? I’ve never been here before.”

“No problem. Just go to the front desk and enter the south wing. From there I believe you can follow the numbers.”

“Yeah, thanks so much.”

“Of course, take care.”

You bowed and followed the directions you were given, checking the room number on your press pass. This was probably why a company demanded you be sent, they wanted to provide you an interview. It was great, but also bad since you had no idea what to ask. When you found the room you took a moment to look at your notes and come up with some questions. Or at least you were going to until you realized you had no idea which company you’d be speaking to.

You took a deep breath and opened the door. Nothing could prepare you for what happened next. The room was dark, the only light coming from holographic screens. There was a huge round table in the middle, a bunch of men seated at it, listening intently. It seemed you had walked in on another private conference, luckily they hadn’t noticed you, so you stood quietly, waiting for them to finish. That was your second mistake that day.

“When will the weapons ship? We’ve had a recent increase in demand and we need to keep up.”

“If production continues at its current pace we’ll end up delaying multiple shipments.”

“We need to divert resources. I say we pull from one of the research teams.”

“The research teams are how we stay ahead and in business. We’re not cutting funds from them.”

“As if they’re all doing so well.”

“Then why not pull from tech? We can afford to lose profit in that area.”

“I say we pull from tech and pharmaceuticals, minimize profit loss in both those areas.”

“But which pharmaceuticals? Over the counter? Hospital stock? Or the cash house?”

“If we lose profit in any area, one of our competitors might get ideas. Can we afford to potentially damage our reputation?”

“Then what’s your big idea?”

“Why are you asking me? Why not one of the new guys? They need to contribute somehow.”

“Because running your mouth in this business won’t cause trouble. They’re here to observe and learn, now spit something out.”

“How about we save this talk for later? We have a guest.”

The lights came on, the holograms disappearing, and you were frozen by the door. NCT was a big tech company with branches in many other industries. They were basically the top one percent of the one percent. Every company has rumors of misconduct and illegal activities but nothing was ever proven. Yet you had just witnessed a private discussion over arms manufacturing, something NCT wasn’t publicly associated with. The person who appeared to be the leader had ended the discussion, and was also the one to point you out. So when the light turned on, heads turned towards you.

All eyes were on you, and it was overwhelming. You were suddenly finding it hard to breathe, panic growing over how much attention was on you.

The feeling of being trapped was taking over, and you had to run. You bolted for the door only to find that it was somehow locked. You started tearing up, not giving up on the door, slamming your palms against it in frustration. You screamed, not caring to maintain some shred of dignity in this situation. You called for help, banging your fists against the door.

“Don’t bother. No one can hear you, and I promise that you won’t be getting that door open anytime soon.”

When you turned back you noticed that the leader was approaching you. The others had gotten up as well, mingling around the room and with each other, only a few actually kept an eye on you.

“It’s nice to meet you, y/n.”

“Who… who are…”

“I think that’s obvious.”

“I… I won’t tell anyone…”

“We’re well aware of that. After all, you’re friends with Taemin, and you’re not dead. So you certainly know about keeping secrets.”

“Then… then what do you want… with me?”

“Taemin’s taken an interest in you, and he’s going to be released from prison tomorrow.”

“So…”

“We can’t let him have you.”

“What?”

“You’ll be under our care until further notice.”

“You can’t do that! You-”

“Welcome to NCT.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Perhaps I should introduce myself.”

“I know who you are.” Your voice was shaking a bit. “You’re the CEO of NCT, Lee Taeyong.”

“Of course you know, you’re a reporter after all.”

“I just looked up the company before coming here… I didn’t know anything about this press conference or who would be here…”

“The first time can be scary, a lot of people attend these events. You must have been overwhelmed.”

“Are you… did you request my presence?”

“Absolutely, you have quite the reputation. I wanted to meet the famous reporter who got Lee Taemin to talk.”

“Well we’ve met… it was nice… now I have an article to write… and I should really get-”

“I said you’re under our care now. So don’t make a fuss and hand over your phone.”

“What? Why? No, you can’t-”

“Your phone. Now. Please.”

“No-”

Taeyong seemed disappointed and snapped his fingers. Two of his associates approached, making you all the more afraid. You were held in place as Taeyong began to frisk you, taking your phone and anything else you had on you.

“Sicheng.” Taeyong held out the phone, looking at your notes. “Take care of this.”

“Hey! That’s my property!”

“For your first time, you’ve definitely got a good understanding of the conference. You’ll write a great report.”

“Give that back!”

“You can let them go.”

When you were free you made a run for Sicheng, the one who took your phone, but Taeyong caught you and held you back, laughing in your ear.

“Don’t be stupid. We’re trying to help you, so I highly recommend you cooperate.”

“This is kidnapping!”

“If that’s how you see it, then I beat Taemin to it.” You froze at the mention of his name. “What? Did you think you could just go home tonight and not have to worry about Taemin coming for you? Did you think he was beneath kidnapping?”

“Let me go!”

“If you’re scared of Taemin, I assure you, we’re much nicer.”

“No, you’re much worse!”

You managed to squirm a bit out of Taeyong’s grasp, and you had enough room to elbow him in the face. He stumbled back a few steps and everything went quiet. Once again all eyes were on you, and regret started to take hold. Although the silence was soon filled with Taeyong’s laughter. He was checking to see if he was bleeding, he wasn’t, but you weren’t sure if that was a good thing.

“Feisty little thing aren’t you?”

“I-”

“Lucas, Johnny, would you be so kind as to take them.”

“What?”

Another two from the room approached you, and this time your body knew better than to try to run, but that didn’t prevent you from backing away. One of them grabbed you, pinning your arms behind your back. The other pulled out a device, it looked like it was meant to check for a fever, and held up to your head. You screamed, thrashing around, but this guy holding you was very strong. Nothing happened, at first anyway.

The little device beeped and it was put away, the guy grabbing something else out of his jacket. It looked like a hockey puck, smaller than the average size, and it was some kind of button. He pressed it, and the thing began to glow a soft blue. You were confused, and a bit scared, then it hit you. Something felt wrong, but you started to feel tired. You were practically melting, and the guy holding you had to adjust their grip so you wouldn’t fall to the floor.

“What the…” You were trying to stay awake. “What’s…”

“Certain frequencies can create a certain reaction in humans. We keep this little gadget to ourselves, very dangerous as you can see, especially once it’s been attuned to a certain individual. Also because it leaves no trace, so to an outsiders perspective, you’re just falling asleep. Sweet dreams.”

“No… no wait…”

♥♥♥♥♥

You woke with a start, your phone ringing, sounding like it was right up against your ear. It rang for a little longer before going quiet, and you rubbed the sleep from your eyes. You were back home, in your bedroom, a mess of materials all around. Your laptop was at the edge of your bed, still on. When you grabbed it you could see a half written article about the press conference. A yawn crept up on you and you shook it off, seeing bits of sunlight creeping into your room.

Your phone buzzed and you searched for it, seeing you had a message from your editor, a lot actually, and that it was early in the morning of the next day. Your editor had been trying to reach you for hours now, since apparently, after the press conference you just disappeared. You texted back, apologizing and saying you just needed to go home after that event. Also promising to have your paper done by the end of the day. You took a moment to collect your thoughts, trying to remember what had happened.

You had vague memories of the other day, and the NCT confrontation. At this point you couldn’t be sure that was even real. Regardless you felt like shit and decided to freshen up. After all, you had work to do. You took your time in the shower, wanting to wash the stress away and thinking about what you were going to write. As you got out of the shower you heard floorboards creaking, feeling a bit on edge.

You slowly pushed the door open and stepped into your room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so you convinced yourself you were just hearing things. Then you remembered what day it was. You rushed to your phone and tried to call your editor but got no response. None of the messages they had left either talked about the real matter at hand, just about the paper. You left a message and started typing into the internet search bar when you heard a door creek.

Your eyes shot to the bedroom door, but there was nothing. In a flash you were spun around and pinned down on the bed. You had shut your eyes in fear, but you didn’t need to see to know who was on top of you. A hand slowly caressed your cheek, making you quiver, then there was that mischievous chuckle that haunted your nightmares. You wanted to wake up so bad, but all you could do was be in the moment.

“Open your eyes, don’t be shy.” You did as you were told and saw Taemin before you. “Hello, my little bird. Did you miss me?”

♥♥♥♥♥

You screamed awake, frantically looking around and taking in your surroundings. You had a hand on your mouth, the other on your chest, trying to calm yourself. It didn’t take much more time before you realized you weren’t at home in your room. In fact you had no idea where you were, the room was unrecognizable. Once you had steadied yourself you got out of bed, exploring this new place.

It was far too nice to be anything you could afford. When you noticed the curtains you rushed over and pushed them back, overjoyed to find a window, but that joy was immediately cut down. You were high above, being able to see the skyline of the city and the tall buildings around. It took a second but you recognized what was around and quickly realized where you were. You hadn’t left the hotel, which meant everything you remembered about meeting NCT wasn’t some lucid dream. 

You looked around for something to use as a weapon, but all the furniture was empty, and there was nothing of use. Regardless, you needed to escape. There were three other doors in the room. One was the bathroom, the other the closet, and the last an exit. You were cautious opening each one until you found the one that would lead you out. Thankfully it hadn’t been locked but now you could see why. It didn’t lead to a hallway, instead revealed a massive living room, so you were probably on the penthouse floor, of course.

No one seemed to be around, so it was the perfect time to go. You slowly stepped out, not wanting to make any noise and bring attention to yourself. You were almost out when your arm suddenly got stuck. You finally noticed a metallic bracelet on one of your wrists, blinking a blue color. You tried to move your arm but it was stuck in mid air, and couldn’t get past the frame. A little inspection revealed the outer side of the door frame had some kinda device on it. It was generating some kind of magnetic field that wouldn’t let the bracelet through, and by extension, wouldn’t let you leave the room.

“I see someone’s awake.”

You turned back to see the individual who used that weird button to knock you out. They had a drink in hand, and an amused smile on their face. You stepped closer to the door, not wanting to be so exposed anymore.

“What is this?”

“Security measures. And before you get any ideas.” He showed you he still had the button thing. “Behave yourself.”

“This is kidnapping!”

“Kidnapping by definition means taking someone from one location to another. You’re still in the Resonance Hotel, top floor suite too.”

“So then I’m being held hostage!”

“You got an answer for everything don’t you.”

“I know my rights!”

“Yes, your last endeavors involved upholding the law. How does it feel knowing you helped put a criminal back on the streets?”

“He was not guilty of murder!”

“Not that one, but do you truly believe his hands are clean?”

“What’s your point?”

“He’s not a good guy, yet you defended him like he was, made a name for yourself in your field. Congrats, so what do you owe him?”

“…”

“Yeah, figured I could get you to shut your mouth.”

“What do you want with me? You guys are this big tech corporation, I’m just a reporter.”

“Not just a reporter, come on, give yourself credit here. You’re the only reporter with a connection to Lee Taemin, tell me you haven’t had a bad encounter with a possible associate of his?”

“…”

“He runs in dangerous crowds, and now you do too, by association that is. Did you know he was manipulating you?”

“To what end!”

“That is the question, isn’t it?” He stood and approached you. “What is it that Taemin could possibly want from you?”

“I… I don’t know…”

“Now isn’t that a scary thought.”

“You… Taeyong said I was under your care now, so you want to protect me, protect me from Taemin, why? You know what he wants from me! Don’t you?”

“Maybe we do, maybe we don’t, you’re not owed any answers.”

“If you’re going to keep me prisoner I deserve to know why!”

“It’s for your own good.”

“I decide what’s good for me, and unless you tell me why I am being kept here, this is not good.”

“You know I’d tell you to turn off your reporter brain, but you’re gonna need it.”

“Huh?”

He walked away for a moment, grabbing your bag off the couch and tossing it to you. It fell to the floor at your feet, given you couldn’t really catch with one hand still stuck in the air.

“What’s this?”

“Your notes. So write up your report of today’s event and then we’ll email it to your boss.”

“Why?”

“Cause it’d look bad if the DR didn’t have a review, it’s your responsibility after all.”

“Yeah, one you guys forced on me.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Fuck you.”

“Oh, you really need to learn some manners.”

“Really? Well then why don’t you introduce yourself?” You spat. “Show me some basic manners.”

“Now that’s a start. I’m Johnny, one of the heads of NCT’s tech division, I specialize in sound.”

“Okay…”

“And you? It’s your turn.”

“You already know who I am.”

“Wow, think you’re so cool huh? Amuse me.”

You glared. “Y/n, reporter for the DR.”

“And Taemin’s lover.”

“I am not!”

“Are you sure? It was all over the internet the other day.”

“I am not involved with Taemin!”

Your frustrations built up, and you just couldn’t talk to this guy anymore. You grabbed your bag and went back into the room, slamming the door shut, locking it as well. You took a breath, massaging your wrist a bit, examining the bracelet. You were trying to figure it out when a knock startled you, making you jump away from the door.

“Before you get any ideas, we have some of the best technology in the world, your security bracelet is waterproof, so don’t bother trying to short it out.”

Johnny informed you of this through the door, basically reading your mind. You huffed, sticking your tongue out at the door and going to the desk in the room. It was your bag, but all it had was your notebook, press pass, loose sheets of paper, and writing utensils. All you could do was write that article he wanted. You sighed in defeat and began working like normal, as if you weren’t being held hostage by one of the biggest global corporations in the world simply because you knew a very specific criminal. After creating your outline you knew what you needed, so you went back outside your room, well, you opened the door anyway.

“Johnny.”

“Done already?” The man entered the living room from elsewhere. “That was fast.”

“No, we need to talk.”

“About what?”

“The conference.”

“Huh?”

“You lured me into your trap with the promise of an exclusive interview, it’s only fair I get one.”

“Hm… I suppose you’re right, so who do you want to talk to?”

“What are my options?”

“Well, I’m afraid CEO Taeyong is off the table, and so is CFO Doyoung, and President Kun, and Vice President Ten.”

“Why?” 

“Busy. There’s me of course, head of tech, you can talk to Sicheng too, he’s in charge of security stuff in my area. Or maybe I can get Jaehyun over, head of science, but if you want specifics, Taeil works with our pharmaceutical division, and Hendery and his trio do genetics.”

“Um… I suppose you and Sicheng are the better option. You did talk a lot about your newest tech.”

“Alright, I’ll call Sicheng up and meet you in your room.”

You left the door open and went back over to your desk, looking at your notes, and checking your questions. You should probably be focusing on figuring out how to escape, but you wanted a distraction over your situation more than anything, so might as well work. A while later Johnny came in with Sicheng, who you recognized and remembered from before, he’s the one who took your phone.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Sicheng, head of security under Johnny in the tech division.”

“Wow, very professional.”

“Is this not a professional interview?”

“No, it is, I’m just glad we can ignore the elephant in the room for now.”

“Very well then.” Johnny sat down on the bed, pulling Sicheng next to him. “Where do you want to start?”

“With what everyone wants to know about, the NEO X. It seems NCT will be launching a new cell phone later this year. Kinda feels outta the blue since you’ve never shown interest in this market before. So why now? Why at all?”

“I suppose our biggest motivation is connection.” Johnny explained. “In today’s world a phone is how we stay in contact with our loved ones, with those who are important to our lives, and how we stay connected to the world. Imagine going a day without your phone. You’d be completely cut off from everyone and everything. Here at NCT we don’t think anyone should ever be disconnected.”

“Hm, I can certainly imagine the frustrations and struggles of not having a phone.” You glared, getting a smile out of both boys. “With that in mind, you are offering a lot for a little. Anyone crunching the numbers could see you might actually be losing profits with this launch. Isn’t that concerning?”

“We’re not so interested in profits, just providing a service and necessity to the people. Something like communication and connection should not be out of reach to anyone merely because it’s unaffordable.”

“Speaking of affordability. Your prices compared to everyone else in the market is quite a deal. You’ve already made big waves and have drawn a target on your back. With that in mind, how can the people be sure their personal information and data will be safe?”

“NCT has never had a breach in security.” Sicheng reminded. “Providing for our customers and ensuring their safety in every way is what we care about most. We’ve created new security measures solely to provide more protection to NEO X users. Their information and data will be secure, we’ll make sure nothing goes wrong with this launch and going forward.”

“But if something does go wrong, you’ll really drag down your reputation, quite possibly destroy it, won’t you?”

“Knowing the danger, and knowing that we have taken precaution, can show you how confident we are in this matter.”

“Or cocky.”

“The NEO X has been in the works for years now, many NCT employees have actually been using our prototypes to further improve upon it before the official launch. When we are closer to that date we will have an exposition. We’ll provide more details and certain participants will have the chance to upgrade to the NEO X for free. You can then hear from them over their experience with it.”

“An upgrade, very confident aren’t you?”

“Yes, but don’t take my word for it.”

“Hm?”

Sicheng handed you a phone. “Perhaps you should explore the NEO X yourself and make your own opinion.”

“I… wow, quite a gift.”

“You can keep it of course, consider it your upgrade.” 

“That hits all the points, doesn’t it?” Johnny questioned. “I suppose we’re done.”

“Yeah… yeah that was everything I wanted to ask. Can I have my real phone now?”

“I’m afraid what you’re holding is your real phone.” Sicheng said. “Don’t worry though, your number, contacts, pictures, and all that stuff has been transferred over, it’s the same phone, just a new design and system.”

“So you just upgraded me to your new phone without asking. I’m not so sure I trust you guys with my information, so can I just have my old phone back?”

“I doubt you really want it back.”

“And why’s that?”

“It was bugged.”

“What?”

“Someone has been listening in on your calls, and reading your texts, among other things.”

“My phone…” You were still processing. “How… how long…”

“Hm?”

“How long… do you know when my phone was bugged? How long it’s been…”

“I don’t have a date for you, but the bug has been broadcasting for over three weeks. I’ve already destroyed it, so don’t worry, and you’re completely secure on the NEO X.”

“Three weeks…”

“Yeah. You’ve known Taemin for about that long, haven’t you?” Johnny teased. “Small world. We’ll leave you to write. I hope you can be done by the end of the day so your editor can get it and have it up tomorrow.”

“Yeah…”

“Oh, and dinner will be ready in a bit.”

It should have been obvious your phone was bugged, but you were more freaked out over the fact that you didn’t know how. There wasn’t really a moment in your memory where someone could have messed with your phone, but looking back was a mistake. Sicheng told you the bug had been on for about three weeks, so it had to be around the time you first met Taemin, and then the pieces fit together.

The night Taemin called for you, he had his servants drag you out of your home. One of those servants you didn’t recognize until now. The one that brought you your food the night the tainted article was released, the night you passed out eating on the couch. You started to feel sick, remembering how the food had a little funny taste to it, realizing you had been drugged, and Taemin’s people probably bugged your entire home, not just your phone. Of course the truth didn’t stop there.

Another servant you now remembered from the night in the alley. They were the one who came to your rescue. At the time you thought it was just a good samaritan, but now you could see you were wrong. They were probably following you on Taemin’s behalf, watching you. Someone must have always been following you ever since Taemin talked to you. There was never any escape, he trapped you the second you met.

This was all freaking you out, but then you remembered your editor, and how you got them involved. You thought it would be a secret but if Taemin had you bugged, surely he would know that you had told someone else about him. In a panic you grabbed your new phone, trying to figure it out so you could call your editor and warn them. Of course it wasn’t easy given how different the NEO X was despite looking so normal. For starters, it had two screens on top of each other, and you accidentally made the top one horizontal, which only added to the possible functions you could use at the moment. Somehow you managed to navigate and find your contacts, trying to call your editor, but nothing happened. 

The call didn’t go through so you tried texting, but no message was sent either. The phone was yours, but surely NCT had blocked the call and text function until further notice. This didn’t help your panic, and you rushed over to the door, forgetting that you couldn’t actually leave the room and badly pulled on your cuffed wrist. You groaned over the sudden stop, collapsing to the floor, starting to get a funny feeling from your hand. Johnny overheard your little commotion and returned to find you whimpering in pain.

“Did you seriously just try to run? Even though you knew-”

“I need to call my editor!” You pushed back the pain. “Please!”

“Ah, so you tried-”

“Listen to me, they’re in danger! If Taemin’s bugged me then he knows I told my editor everything. I need to warn them!”

“…”

“Please…”

Johnny didn’t answer you, but he did grab your phone off the floor. He messed with it for a moment before holding it out to you, but before you could take it he grabbed your arm and yanked you closer to him, ignoring the fact he would cause you more pain.

“If you try anything funny, there will be consequences.”

“I won’t…”

He glared, but ultimately let you have your phone. You navigated through your contacts with one hand, calling your editor. Relief flooded through you as it began to ring, the phone returning to one screen, and you held it to your ear. You looked up at Johnny who was watching intently, noticing he had that little button in his hand.

“Hello?”

“Hey, I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner.”

“I was wondering where you’ve been. I thought you would have been back from the conference by now.”

“Yeah, you see, I got an exclusive interview with NCT afterwards, so that kinda took up most of my time until now.”

“Really? Wow, you are amazing with your exclusives, aren’t you?”

“You can say that. They’re the ones who requested my presence today, I guess I know why now.”

“Well it’s good to know you’re alright.”

“Yeah, speaking of, I won’t be going back to the office today. The whole conference was just overwhelming.”

“I get that, go home, and wind down.”

“I will, but I also wanted to let you know I’m going to take some time off.”

“Time off? Are you sure that’s a good idea.”

“I need space and I need to… don’t worry about me okay, I’ll be just fine.”

“Y/n are you being serious right now? Or is he-”

“No! No, no, I…” You took a breath. “This is my choice, and I don’t want you getting involved anymore than you already are, please.”

“Don’t do anything stupid here.”

“I… I’ll email you my report tonight. Take care.”

“You too.”

When the call ended Johnny snatched up your phone but you didn’t care, more hung up on the words you had just been told.

“You need to let me go…”

“We already had this conversation.”

“Taemin was having me followed…”

“We know.”

“You… you what? You knew!”

“Of course we did.”

“Why did you… and you still did this! He’s going to think I tried to escape him or something! Let me go this-”

You whimpered when you jolted your wrist the wrong way, crumbling to the ground. You bit back tears, not sure if they were from the pain or the fear. Johnny merely watched you for a moment before carefully picking you up and taking you back to the room, setting you down on the bed.

“I’ll get Jaehyun.”

“Who?”

“Someone needs to look at your wrist.”

Your hand was pretty much throbbing, but you were partially ignoring it, more focused on the recent development that being held hostage was much worse than you realized. It wasn’t long before this Jaehyun arrived, the pink haired man from before. Nobody said anything, Jaehyun just pulled up a chair and grabbed your arm, making you wince.

“My apologies.” He was examining your wrist, not interested in you at all. “You didn’t break anything, but you sprained it. I’m going to have to remove the bracelet to treat it properly.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’ll go on the other wrist so calm down, Johnny. You were supposed to look after them, not cause an injury.”

“I didn’t do this. How do you expect me to save them from their own stupidity?”

“That’s your problem to solve isn’t it?”

Jaehyun pressed his thumb against a small screen on the bracelet, unlocking it. He took your other arm and slapped the bracelet back on, the device locking with a click. As he said he treated your wrist and wrapped it up. Although there was something about him, his grip, his manner, that just felt too familiar.

“You’re a writer, so I would suggest you do better in taking care of your hands in the future.”

“It was you…”

“Hm?”

“In the alley… you jumped me… you held a knife to my throat…”

“What?”

“That’s why you’re so familiar… your voice… your eyes… I remember… you tried to kill me…”

Jaehyun scoffed. “I was never going to kill you.”

“So you admit it was you!”

“If it hadn’t been for your little tail, we would be having a different conversation right now.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Like I said.” Johnny added. “We knew you were being followed, and were trying to get you off Taemin’s radar.”

“So you attacked me?”

“We were actually trying to kidnap you that night, but it seems you had more than one tail on you, so it didn’t work out.”

“You held a knife to my throat!”

“And you’re just fine now.” Jaehyun assured. “Go easy on the wrist, and don’t damage the other one.”

“Then what?”

“Hm?”

“I write my report and then what? I told you that night, I don’t know anything. Taemin never told me anything about himself. So what do you want from me?”

“Just write your article.” Johnny said. “Tomorrow when we have more time I’m sure the others will indulge you in a conversation.”

“And then?”

“One thing at a time. Let’s go, Jaehyun.”

The two left without another word, shutting the door behind them. You were left alone with your own thoughts again. You stared at your wrist, it certainly felt better but it wasn’t going to make writing any easier. Regardless you went over to your desk, you promised your editor a report, you had to do that one last thing for them. After all, you didn’t know what came next. You dragged out your work until you were confident with it, and that NCT wouldn’t be upset over it either. When you finished you opened the door, looking around but no one was around.

“Hello? Johnny?”

“Johnny’s not here.” A new face appeared. “I’m currently assigned to watch you. Jaemin, pleasure to meet you.”

“Oh… I guess it’s nice to meet you… I just… I just finished my paper… so you can-”

“I’ll give you time for a revision.”

“But I’m done.”

“I’m sure you are, just want to give you a chance to correct any mistakes.”

“Mistakes?”

“Yes. Any little message you’re trying to send out, I recommend you remove.”

You scoffed. “Really? I was at your secret little conference, remember? I’m well aware of the situation I’m in with you guys. I won’t try anything like that, my editor knows too much as is.”

“Perhaps, I’ll give you a chance to correct your mistakes anyway.”

“And who exactly are you?”

“I work with Lucas in security, and right now, you are a security risk.”

“Funny, I wonder why.”

“Easy, or you might go to bed without dinner.”

“Whatever.”

“You have an hour.”

You returned to the room frustrated. You weren’t going to try to send out a message or something, there was no point in that. So you had nothing to do, and looked around the room. It was the basic suite you’d expect from a five star hotel. You glanced out the window again, looking at the city. Even if you could write a message on the glass, you were too high up to be seen. Instead of wallowing around you figured a small nap wouldn’t hurt, maybe you’d wake up back home and out of this nightmare.

♥♥♥♥♥

You opened your eyes to darkness, and soon realized your limbs were restrained. When you tried to scream it was muffled by a gag. Your body moving soon gave you the idea that you were in a car, most likely a trunk. You couldn’t help the tears, fear running through you, leaving room for nothing else. At some point you must have come to a stop, feeling light through the blindfold. You were grabbed by strangers and carried out, unable to deny the instinct to fight.

You were sat down, hands untied, and then restrained on a table. Your blindfold was removed, revealing that you were at a dinner table. Food was served, and there was an empty chair across from you. The gag remained, so all you could do was look around, but there wasn’t much to see. The only light there illuminated the table, everything else was completely covered in endless darkness.

“I thought I’d treat you to a meal.”

Taemin emerged from the darkness, granting you a smile and looking over the table. He grabbed a utensil and picked something out, coming over to your side. You were frozen in place, letting him remove the gag. Since you didn’t react to his kindness he grabbed your face and forced your lips to part, an innocent smile on his face.

“Don’t be rude, you’re my guest after all.”

He forced the food into your mouth, placing his hand over your lips as well to make sure you ate. You didn’t trust the food but there wasn’t a choice anymore. You chewed and swallowed, hoping nothing would turn out to be wrong.

“There you go. Good isn’t it?”

“…”

“I didn’t put anything in the food, I wouldn’t ruin you like that either.” He went to grab something else. “I thought I told you not to do anything stupid while I was away.”

“I…”

“A lesson is in order, don’t you think?”

You noticed Taemin grab a knife off the table, examining it. You had no idea what emotion was reflected in his eyes.

“Wait… wait… Taemin… Taemin, please!”

♥♥♥♥♥

“PLEASE!”

You were back in the hotel room, although your mind was still back at the dinner table. You didn’t even notice Jaemin in the room, watching you with concern. You shook your head, trying to forget the dream as soon as possible, but you knew it’d linger.

“Fuck…”

“He can have that effect on people.”

You screamed, nearly falling out of bed when Jaemin spoke. You swear you would have died, but you managed to calm yourself down.

“Don’t you know how to knock?”

“I did, but there was no answer, so I got concerned. Seems I was right to worry.”

“I’m fine.”

“Screaming from a nightmare is far from fine. How long have you been having them?”

“What do you care?”

“We’re looking after you, remember. That includes looking after your health, and a lack of proper sleep is not good.”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.”

“You’re security, so you should just watch.”

“Is that an invitation to stay here with you all night?”

“No.”

“Then shall I call Jaehyun over? Have him stay with you? Or Taeil? I’m sure he could make you a nice concoction for bed.”

“I said, I’m fine.”

“Okay. Then I assume your report is done?”

“It’s on the desk.”

“Wonderful. Dinner’s ready, would you like to have it here or in the dining room?”

“I can go to the dining room?”

“If you would like to, yes. The idea is that eventually you can hang around the entire penthouse, but that all depends on your behavior.”

The thought of leaving the room was nice, but going to the dining room wasn’t. You rather avoid any table with food on it for the time being.

“I’d rather eat in here…”

“Okay. I’ll have someone bring over a bit of everything for you.”

Jaemin took out his phone, and grabbed your paper, walking out of the room. Your stomach growled, reminding you that you were in fact hungry, so you went to wash up. While you waited you figured you should calmly explore your room. Of course everything was still empty, but you actually found the remote for the TV. You figured it wouldn’t hurt to watch a movie or something, but when you turned it on the screen was just static.

Even when you tried to change the channel, nothing changed. You sighed, of course they wouldn’t even let you watch TV. As you were about to look for something else to do, the door opened. Someone new entered with a cart, and a duffel bag. You could smell the food, and it all smelled great. They smiled and set the bag down, bringing the food over to your bedside. Although they laughed at the TV.

“You should have asked first.”

“I need permission to watch television? Do you hear yourself?”

“I meant you should have asked us to set it up. Given that this is a guest room, we never bothered with the TV.”

“Oh.”

“I’m Yuta by the way.”

Yuta used his phone to somehow get the TV to work, and it wasn’t surprising it was on a news channel. Nothing of interest to you was on, but you knew what was coming up. Yuta changed the channel though and left it on a TV show.

“Anyway, dinner’s here for you. Eat what you like, if you want more, just ask.”

“Okay… what’s in the bag?”

“Ah, your clothes.”

“My clothes? You went to my house!”

“Yeah, and don’t worry, we debugged it.”

“So… so he was watching me…”

“Well he’s not going to get anywhere near you here, so don’t worry.”

“Why do you care?”

“Hm?”

“Why do you care if Taemin… why do you care about me?”

“It’s complicated.”

“How do you expect me to feel safe if I don’t even know why I’m here.”

“We can talk tomorrow. It’s pretty late now, so just eat and get some sleep.”

“As if that’s gonna be easy…” You mumbled to yourself. “Thanks anyway… I prefer to eat alone.”

“Of course. If you want more just ask.”

For a moment you could pretend you were actually on a vacation. Just set up in a hotel room, enjoying room service and rotting your brain with TV. In reality you couldn’t afford the room or the food, so it wasn’t a delusion that could stick. The food was good, and you did want more but were far too embarrassed to ask. Instead you left the cart outside your door and prepared for a shower.

You took your time with that, wanting to relieve the stress of the day. Despite the questions you couldn’t help but feel some comfort. In a sense you were safe, Taemin wouldn’t find you here, wouldn’t even know where you were. At the same time, that sense of safety was dangerous. You couldn’t fathom how Taemin would take the news of you simply disappearing. Hopefully talking tomorrow with NCT could clear up a few things and you could leave. Then again you weren’t sure if you wanted to. 

When you stepped back into the room, dressing yourself, you noticed a cup of tea on your nightstand. It was still hot, and it had a note next to it. All it said was that the tea would help you rest easy, and that it was from this guy, Taeil. You vaguely remembered Jaemin mentioning that person, as well as mentioning they could give you something to help you sleep. You weren’t down with taking drugs, let alone something that would take you deep into dreamland, you needed a way out.

You snuggled into the sheets, it was certainly much nicer than your bed back home, and closed your eyes. Given how soft the bed was it was easier to sink into sleep, or at least you thought it would be. It took a while, and you ultimately had to leave a light on in order to feel safe enough to actually go to sleep. There was no real point in worrying, but you couldn’t just drop it for the night. All you could hope for was actually getting some rest. If only it were that easy.

♥♥♥♥♥

“Wake up.”

“Hm.”

“Now.”

You were dragged out of bed by Jaehyun, seeing he had your bag of clothes. You stumbled behind him, noticing he took you out of the room without a problem. The bracelet was still on which just served to confuse you more. You were slowly waking up, rubbing the sleep from your eyes when you got into an elevator, everything starting to sink in.

“What’s going on?”

“We’re leaving.”

“Huh?”

“You’re being moved to another location.”

“Another location? I thought… you said I would be safe-”

“There’s been some complications.”

“You guys never tell me what’s going on.”

“Just trust us.”

“How can I-”

When the elevator doors opened Jaehyun grabbed your arm and pulled you along. You were in some parking garage beneath the hotel. A car came up and stopped in front of you, Jaehyun ushering you into the back seat with him. You didn’t recognize the driver, but soon you were out on the streets below.

“Where are we going?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“You guys seriously need to start telling me what’s going on.”

“You’ll be fine so just-”

“Please. I’m already terrified as it is… you’re just making it worse…”

“Y/n-”

You really hadn’t been out on the street for long, but it still felt too fast. One moment you were driving, the next you were spinning. The car had been hit, hit with enough force for it to tumble. It was a miracle it landed on it’s wheels, but everything else wasn’t. The driver was out, or maybe dead, you couldn’t be sure. Jaehyun was unresponsive as well, and you could see the blood on his face. Your body ached in pain, but you couldn’t help but worry over Jaehyun. You managed to get the seat belt off and lean over to check for a pulse. He seemed to be breathing to your great relief.

“Jaehyun…” You shook him. “Jaehyun…”

Before you could get an answer you heard the window behind you break. You screamed, a hand reaching into the car and grabbing you, pulling you out. Fighting back was pointless in your state so you just let yourself get dragged out. You suffered more cuts and pain from being pulled out, and were then slammed against the car.

“I told you that I wasn’t just going to let you go.”

“Tae… Taemin…”

“You’re coming with me.”

“Wait-”

Taemin dragged you to another car, shoving you into the back seat, ignoring your injuries as well. You glanced out the window, seeing another car pull up near the accident, Johnny and Yuta rushing out. You locked eyes with Johnny, but there was nothing to be done. You could see him fading in the distance, even though he tried to run after you. The safety they offered, even if you rejected it, was gone. Now you had to deal with your nightmares.

♥♥♥♥♥

Your eyes shot open, but you just deeply inhaled, the phantom pain of the accident still lingering. You wiped away the tears, slowly managing the strength to sit up. You hated how vivid the dreams had become, sometimes you couldn’t even be sure you were awake. After taking a few breaths your eyes found the cup of tea on the nightstand. You didn’t like the idea but you had nothing left to lose. It was still cold, and you had every last drop. 

Whatever was in it worked fast, as you barely managed to put the cup back on the nightstand. Your head hit the pillow and you were out cold, for once in the last few days being able to sleep without having any nightmares. You certainly slept in because of the tea, not waking up until someone came into the room to check on you. It was past ten by then, the person shaking you gently.

“Y/n… y/n wake up…”

“Hm… five more minutes…”

“The guys don’t have long, if you wanna talk, it’s gotta be now.”

“Talk… talk about what…”

“I thought you were concerned about being held hostage?”

“Yeah… wait what!”

You bolted up, wide awake, remembering the situation you were in. Yuta had a stupid smile on his face, amused over your sudden moment of clarity.

“They’re right outside your room in the living room, don’t be too long okay.”

“Right…”

He took the empty tea cup and walked out. You took a look at yourself, cleaning up a bit to look presentable and then opening the door. You recognized Taeyong on the couch, as well as Johnny and Jaehyun. A few others were standing around, one you recognized to be the man you ran into yesterday, the one who told you about the exclusive, of course he was NCT, it had all been a set up of course.

“You can step out.” Johnny said. “The security settings on the bracelet have been changed.”

“Oh…” You stepped out of the room, somewhat surprised. “Thanks…”

“Sit down, you said you had some questions.”

“Yes… yes I do.” You took a seat on an empty couch, clearing your throat. “For starters, I want to know why I’m here.”

“For your safety.” Taeyong answered.

“And how exactly is this for my safety.”

“That’s not important.”

“It’s my safety, my life, I deserve to know what you’re keeping me safe from.”

“As if you don’t know the answer.” Another scoffed. “Or would you like to watch the news?”

“So he’s out…”

“Of course he’s out, we’ve all kno-”

“Easy Ten.” Johnny said. “It’s too early to cause trouble.”

“So scary.”

“Ya!”

“Both of you shut up.” Someone else, the man from before, cut in. “Taemin was actually released last night.”

“Oh… but why?”

“Hm?”

“Taemin’s out, and you’re keeping me here. Why do you care? Why am I supposedly safe from Taemin? What does he want with me?”

“That’s complicated. You’ve just gotten mixed up in things that really never concerned you.”

“But they concern me now, don’t they?”

“The less you know, the better.”

“Who are you to say that! I didn’t know Taemin was dragging me into something! But you are making it very obvious he did and I don’t know what that is.”

“Please understand-”

“I’m terrified!” You choked back a sob. “I don’t know what’s going on, and that scares me. Now Taemin is out and probably pissed that I’m gone… I’m in danger because of you! He… he’s going to…”

“He’s not going to do anything to you.”

“You can’t promise that!”

“Yes I can.”

“You can’t! I was prepared to face the consequences and you’ve changed them!”

“Please calm down, and-”

“Tell me what is going on!”

“Kun, let’s not aggravate things.” Taeyong spoke. “They deserve an answer.”

“Are you-”

Taeyong held his hand up. “Y/n… what do you know about Taemin?”

“Um… not much… just what everyone else does…”

“And the rumors?”

“Nothing’s been proven.”

“But you’re smart enough to know rumors don’t just appear out of thin air.”

“So…”

“Taemin is dangerous, in ways you probably can’t even fathom right now. He’s also incredibly intelligent, he didn’t talk to you out of the kindness of his heart. There is a reason for everything he does, and dragging you out of your home in the middle of the night to see you, shows that you are important to him.”

“You… you knew about that…”

“We were keeping an eye on you after that article came out. We were trying to get you away from his people, for your own sake, but the only way to really get you was to isolate you, hence the request for you at the conference.”

“But… why? What does Taemin want with me?”

“We don’t know.”

“Huh?”

“He’s never shown interest in anyone before, so the mystery around you was cause for concern. I couldn’t just stand to the side and wait to hear about your disappearance, or sudden death.”

“…”

“That’s probably not a good enough reason to do all this, but answer me honestly, if you’re truly not afraid of him, I’ll let you go right now.”

“Taeyong!” 

“Quiet. So, if you’re not afraid, you can go.”

You didn’t answer, you had actually answered before, but even now, you couldn’t bring yourself to admit you were scared of Taemin. You felt like even saying it now, he’d know, and it’d only cause trouble.

“That feeling you have right now, it’s a good enough reason for me to do all this.” Taeyong stood. “I have meetings, so I’m afraid this is all we can discuss today. Until nightfall you can have access to the rest of the penthouse, I’ll have one of my associates around to look after you on rotating shifts. Please don’t be scared of us, we do have your best interest at heart.”

They all started to leave, except for Johnny, but there was one last question lingering in your mind, the most important of all.

“To what end…”

“Hm?”

“As long as Taemin is out there… I’m not safe anywhere… why do this? To what end?”

“I do have to go, but we’re trying to get Taemin behind bars, permanently.”

“Being in prison hasn’t stopped him from… doing things…”

“And I have no problem putting him in the ground if necessary.”

It took a second to process that last part, but when you looked up they were gone. You were left to ponder what he said, and what he meant. Even if you asked questions, and got answers, your head felt more messy than before. You certainly got mixed up in things that you didn’t understand, and no path was clear.

“I’ll get brunch started for you, since you must be hungry.”

“That’d be nice.”

♥♥♥♥♥

Taemin finished dressing in his cell, handing the jumpsuit to one of the officers. He merely offered a smile, being escorted out. Given his reputation, the front door was never a good option so he was let out the back. He took a breath of fresh air, basking in the coolness of the night before getting into the limo that was waiting for him. As soon as he was in, it drove off.

“Sorry I didn’t get you out sooner.”

“As if you weren’t dealing with the entire police force, Onew. You did just fine, as always.”

“Well I do owe y/n some thanks, because of them any other possible charges were dropped.”

“Speaking of, have Minho pick them up in a few hours, I’ll treat them to breakfast.”

“I have some bad news about that.”

“Do tell.”

“We’ve lost track of y/n.”

“Really? That’s impressive, and annoying. What happened?”

“There was a press conference earlier today, and y/n was assigned to cover it. They went to the venue, and never came out.”

“Why didn’t someone follow them?”

“Tight security. There was a guest list, and since we weren’t expecting them to attend we were unable to get in. We monitored all exits but didn’t see them again.”

“Where was the conference?”

“The Resonance Hotel.”

“Hm… surely there are other exits that could have been overlooked… so they never went home either?”

“We’re not sure.”

“How come?”

“Once we had confirmation the conference was over we checked the house feed, but all cameras and microphones were offline. Someone went to check in person but the place seemed undisturbed. We’ve had someone posted there since and no sight of them.”

“Very interesting… I have a theory, but let’s investigate this properly. Have you eaten?”

“I was just about to ask you that.”

“You know the answer. Minho, take us to my usual place, and have Jonghyun and Key meet us there.”

“Of course.”

♥♥♥♥♥

After a proper meal Taemin spent the hours till sunrise on his laptop, doing some research on his own. He had somethings he needed to attend to first, and then his focus shifted to you. To say he was pissed was an understatement, but he was giving you the benefit of the doubt. Despite your intelligence, outsmarting him was highly unlikely, so he needed answers, and he knew where to go first.

“Come in.”

Taemin walked into your editors office with his little group. He smiled and took a seat, making himself comfortable. Meanwhile your editor remained frozen in place, still trying to process who was in his office and whether he was awake or not. Of course Taemin didn’t like talking, so Onew would take care of the actual business here.

“I hope you’ll cooperate with us. We just have some questions for you, and answering honestly would be in your best interest.”

“I… I understand…”

“Good, I’ll keep things simple. When was the last time you saw y/n? In person, that is.”

“Yesterday morning, when I sent them on an assignment.”

“And what assignment would that be?”

“To cover the press conference held yesterday about-”

“Why.”

“Why what?”

“Why them? Given y/n’s portfolio, they’re more fit for investigative reporting, not covering a press conference.”

“Ah, I see your point but… I had no choice.”

“Explain.”

“The event had major security, you had to be on a guest list to attend. Some company requested y/n specifically, so I had no other option but to send them. If I could-”

“And you haven’t heard from them since they left your office?”

“No… I mean, they called me hours after the conference, said they got caught up with an exclusive interview and wouldn’t be returning to the office.”

“So they went home?”

“I… I don’t know. I would assume so given that they said they were going to take a few days off.”

“Did they… what about their report?”

“They emailed it to me last night, I was going to publish it soon.”

“One last project… you wouldn’t happen to know which company requested them?”

“I… I do, it was NCT. They requested them so they could also provide an exclusive.”

“Interesting… thank you for your time. Jonghyun.”

Onew stepped away as Jonghyun approached the desk, spinning the editor towards them. He had a playful smile on his face, holding his hand out.

“It’s a shame you lost your phone this morning.”

“Wa… what?”

“Your phone, hand it over.”

“Ah, yes, yes of course.”

Jonghyun took the phone. “Thank you, I suggest you get a new one tomorrow.”

“Right…”

The phone was handed over to Taemin, who looked through it for a moment before getting up. He was done there, and was more than ready to leave. As the group was making their exit, Key pulled out a gun and aimed at the editor.

“Wait! Wait, I won’t tell anyone!”

Key looked over at Taemin for confirmation, but Taemin just shook his head, walking out. The gun was put away, and Key followed the others. Onew remained for a moment longer.

“We appreciate you doing right by y/n, unlike the last person that occupied that desk. Please publish the article by the end of the day.”

♥♥♥♥♥

In the limo Taemin stared at your number, having already put it in his phone. Speaking with your editor did answer a few questions, and was providing pieces for his theory.

“Where did you go…”

“Taemin, we’re here.”

Taemin wound up going to your place, not needing to break in as he had a copy of your keys. He let himself in, seeing the state of your home, and that it seemed like no one had been around. There wasn’t much reason to be there, but he wanted to see where you lived.

“Cozy.”

You seemed to live comfortably, but alone, not even a pet to keep you company. He wandered around, seeing what you had, and found his way to your bedroom. His hands lingered over your bed, wondering where you had disappeared too. He popped into your bathroom, and then looked through your closet.

“Onew.”

“Hm?”

“Did y/n take anything with them when they left?”

“No, why?”

“Clothes are missing… as well as other things from their room.”

“They just had their usual bag, which certainly doesn’t fit a lot in it.”

“Hm… we should go, we have another stop.”

“Of course.”

As Taemin was leaving your room his eyes were drawn to something on the nightstand. A genuine smile appeared on his face as he picked up the little bird from the antique shop. He knew you had gone to the crime scene, but he wouldn’t imagine you would actually take the bird.

“How sweet.”

He took it with him, wanting to have a little something from you. The last location was certainly the most problematic. Onew had done some research for him, providing him with everything he needed. The limo stopped outside their destination, and Taemin glanced out the window.

“The Resonance Hotel… do we have any information on the conference?”

“Only news reports, the whole event was pretty air tight, no footage either.”

“And y/n’s article?”

“It’s been published.” Onew handed over a tablet. “They definitely got an exclusive with NCT, they’re article is beating out everyone else’s.”

“Of course it is…”

“We were able to check footage outside the hotel, but no sign of y/n. What do you want to do?”

“Let’s eat, and we can discuss that.”

♥♥♥♥♥

Johnny only stuck around for a while, he was head of tech after all, so him staying with you didn’t make much sense. Instead you were introduced to someone new, Lucas, he was head of security. Of course he also had Jaemin with him, along with someone else, Jeno, all from the same department.

“What do you guys even do?”

“Why? Gonna write about us?” Jaemin teased. “Wanna see our credentials?”

“No. I’m just asking… you guys do security work, right?”

“Some of it.” Lucas explained. “Sicheng is more tech security, consider us… like bodyguards.”

“So then shouldn’t you be watching Taeyong?”

“You’re more important.”

“How the hell am I more important than your company CEO?”

“You just are.”

“Aren’t I safe enough now? Nobody really knows I’m here.”

“Can’t be too careful. Besides, don’t want you getting bored.”

“Yeah we can show you around.” Jeno offered. “Our place is big so there is a lot to see.”

“I’m sure there is. So, do you all live here?”

“Pretty much, but we go back and forth from here and the main office. It’s rare for all of us to be here.”

“I can imagine.”

The three showed you around the penthouse, and it was huge. Everyone pretty much had a room, a few extras as well, like the one you were in. There was also a lot of recreational things to do, including a pool. Jaemin figured playing some games could pass the time and led you to the game room, and to his surprise the room wasn’t empty.

“What the hell are you guys doing here?”

“Don’t talk to your hyung like that.” Yuta snapped. “Since you’re here, wanna play?”

“No, I came in here to sleep.”

“The bean bags are comfortable.”

“Give me a controller.”

“Come on, I’m sure there’s a game we can all play.”

“Why are you here anyway, Yuta?” Lucas asked. “No work at the office?”

“Not today. Besides, I am working right now.”

“Really?”

“I don’t run the entertainment department for nothing.” Yuta winked. “Now let me kick your asses.”

You sat down next to the only person who hadn’t said anything. They smiled shyly, whispering hello to you, which you nearly missed.

“Hi. I guess it’s nice to meet you.”

“How are you… I mean I’m Shotaro, nice to meet you too.”

“So… what do you do?”

“I work with Yuta.”

“Entertainment… what’s that like?”

“It’s just making sure new products are enjoyable, and talking with the design team for events, among other things.”

“Oh, so you’ll help with the NEO X expo.”

“Yeah, how do you know about that?”

“Sicheng upgraded my phone, it was also the subject of my exclusive. It’s pretty cool, did you have input on the design?”

“A bit, the double screens were to make some mobile game play easier. As well as be able to provide more info to users. There’s even a holographic function.”

“Really? Can you show me? I didn’t get a manual with my phone.”

“Sure.”

While the others played games Shotaro showed you all the different mechanics from the NEO X. You were genuinely curious about it, and equally amazed over all the capabilities. You weren’t lying in your previous statement of offering a lot for a little. It could easily be priced higher but profit wasn’t the goal with this phone.

“You guys want to play? Mario kart would be a good one. Or Mario party if you don’t want to get demolished.”

Your stay with them was gonna be a long one, you knew that, so it was best to actually try and get along with them.

“My wrist still hurts, Mario party is better but you all have the advantage in mini games.”

“We’ll go easy.” Jeno offered.

“Fuck that.” Jaemin countered. “Good luck, may the best player win.”

As the games went on you realized that you hadn’t actually had a game night with friends since like your freshmen college days. Not that these guys were your friends, but the atmosphere in the room kinda made it true. You didn’t win, much to Jaemin’s enjoyment, but of course everyone asked for another try.

You skipped lunch, just munching on snacks and sweets for the sake of not pausing the game. You actually had fun despite your situation, although they were all over you with concern when you turned your wrist just the wrong way and whimpered in pain.

“Be careful.” Jaemin said. “You don’t need to get hurt to win.”

“You’re just scared that if Taeyong finds out they got hurt under our watch he’d scold us.”

“As if you want that to happen.”

“Why don’t you rest your wrist for a while.” Shotaro suggested. “I’ll get you some ice.”

“Thanks.”

Yuta volunteered to play the rest of the game for you, and you swear everyone let you win the second round. Shotaro helped you ice your wrist, suggesting other games that wouldn’t cause too much stress on the injury. Another game was chosen and you’re sure you would have played all night if Jaehyun didn’t come by and tell you all that dinner would be ready soon.

“I’ll go wash up.”

You excused yourself to your room, realizing how fast time had passed, and how much of a good time it was. As you were heading out, probably about to get lost looking for the dining room, your phone rang. You thought it was weird, you were supposedly on lock down but then you remembered Johnny didn’t shut your phone back down. 

For a moment you were worried about who was calling but then you saw that it was your editor. The worry remained though, as you weren’t sure why they’d be calling you. In fact, you didn’t think you’d be hearing from them until things were better, so this call wasn’t making you feel good. You shut the door to your room, locking it as well, and answered the phone.

“Hey, is everything alright? I didn’t think-”

“Go to the window.”

“What?”

“Now.”

“Okay, hold on.” 

You did as you were told, not registering how strange the request was, or who’s voice was on the other end until it was too late. You pulled the curtain back, seeing the city.

“Why do you-”

A flash of red came into your vision, confusing you for a second, and then you looked down to see a little red dot dancing over your heart. You froze in fear, knowing exactly what that was, and realizing who was on the other end of the call.

“I was waiting to see you.”

“Tae… Taemin…”

“I’m also certain I left the message to not do anything stupid.”

“I-”

“Sh, just listen, as I’ve done for you.”

“…”

“Good. I was very suspicious when I discovered you had disappeared, after all my efforts to look after you. Of course I had the means to track you down. The chip in your phone showed your last location to be the Resonance Hotel, and I had a little suspicion you never actually left.”

“…”

“Of course, theories need to be tested, and all the evidence pointed to one conclusion. You being in the penthouse only further proves my theory. To say I’m upset is an understatement, but you still have the benefit of my doubt. So think carefully about what you’re going to say, and tell me, did you grovel at their feet?”

“Wa… what?”

“Did you get on your knees and beg?”

“I… I don’t under-”

“Answer me!”

“I don’t understand the question. Taemin, please, I don’t-”

“Then listen closely, cause I will only ask once more. Did you beg, on your fucken knees, for NCT to help you?”

“No. No! I didn’t-”

“Don’t. Fucken. Lie. To. Me!”

“I’m not lying, Taemin! I would never do that to you.”

“You’re-”

“I was kidnapped!”

There was a moment of silence. “Explain.”

“They forced my job to send me to the conference, and then offered me an exclusive interview. I walked into a room with them and never walked out.” You choked back a sob. “Taemin, please, I don’t understand what’s going on, all they said was that they couldn’t let you have me and that-”

The phone was taken from your hand and you were shoved to the side, stumbling to the ground. You looked back to see Taeyong, having taken over the call, and standing in front of the window without fear. He looked down at the little dot on his chest and scoffed.

“You do have a thing for using fear to get what you want, don’t you? How cruel of you to do such a thing to y/n, knowing full well the glass here is bulletproof. You can press the barrel of any gun up against it and fire, not a single crack will appear.”

“You do love your technology, don’t you? Never miss a moment to brag about it. But I must say, between the two of us, I never thought you’d be the one to drag innocent civilians into our game. Who’s the cruel one now?”

“Me? You did it first.”

“I merely provided an exclusive interview.”

“As did I.”

“That you did… how nice of you, so why not let them go? It’s quite strange to keep them around, don’t you think?”

“That’s funny coming from you.”

“Is it? I fail to see the joke.”

“Enough. Let’s just get to the point. I have something you want, and you have something I want. A trade is only fair.”

“Is it? I’m afraid I don’t see how you have something I want.”

“Is that so?”

You were still shaking, knowing you were safe all along didn’t provide comfort. A few others came into the room, but no one spoke, just waiting for orders. You were close enough to still listen in on the call, and you didn’t like what you were hearing. Taeyong pulled out an all too familiar device, although you weren’t expecting the consequences.

“No! Wait-”

You grabbed your head and started screaming. A blistering pain had overtaken your mind, your senses, and all you could do was suffer. No one else in the room reacted, no one tried to help. Taeyong held the phone out, so Taemin could hear you. It felt like eternity, tears sliding down your cheeks, but eventually, thankfully, it did stop. You took a deep breath, trying to compose yourself, meanwhile Taeyong returned to the call.

“Does that ring any bells?”

“That was quite lovely, although it would have been better if I was the cause.”

“You’re one sadistic fuck.”

“I’m not the one who made y/n scream. Although it’s quite disappointing you only see them as a bargaining chip.”

“A trade. Y/n, in exchange for what is mine.”

“You’re underestimating the value of what’s on the table here.”

“That’s quite an assumption, but I assure you I’m not.”

“Then you’re well aware of who’s actually in control here.”

“Are you?”

Taemin chuckled. “I’ll take pleasure in knowing you destroyed what little trust you had with y/n. Now do keep in mind I will be getting back what belongs to me, the same cannot be said for you though. So choose your next move cautiously cause I have no intention of playing fair.”

“Neither do I.”

“Yes, you’ve made that very clear. Do take care of y/n for me while they’re with you, I’d hate to lose such a precious thing.”

The line went dead, Taeyong tossing the phone to the side and keeping his gaze out the window. You weren’t sure if he actually knew where Taemin was, but that didn’t matter. After a moment his focus turned to you, and instinctively you crawled back. You thought you were safe with them, but it was becoming very clear, nowhere was safe.


	3. Chapter 3

“I want them exposed.”

Taemin had hung up, staring at the hotel from a building across the street. At his vantage point he couldn’t actually see anything, so Key was his eyes with the sniper scope, and he was trusted to fire on command. Taemin knew where to look, and his imagination went from there.

“How exactly do you want us to do that?” Onew asked. “What’s the plan?”

“I have a favor to call in… or two… or seven…” Taemin took a satisfied breath. “I always wondered what it would be like when they finally rose to my level. They did not disappoint.”

“Since we’re done here, I suggest we leave.”

“Agreed. Key.”

As Taemin walked away from the window, he threw the phone into the air. Within a second of being called, Key lifted the rifle off the stand and rolled onto his back, firing once. The bullet went straight through the phone, rendering it useless. He smirked, satisfied with his own marksmanship, and then packing up his weapon. In less than five minutes the group had cleared out, leaving no trace of their presence besides a bullet hole, and a damaged phone.

♥♥♥♥♥

Even though the pain was gone, you stayed curled up on the floor, shaking. There was still a light ringing in your ear. You wished you could disappear, or run, or do anything, but you were too afraid, and you were very clearly helpless. After a moment Taeyong took notice of you, and you instinctively flinched. 

He smirked and then called for Jaehyun, who pushed through the little crowd and approached you. Immediately you scrambled back but he grabbed you and sat you down on the bed. You tried to get away again but he grabbed your head, forcing you to look at him. You knew he was just examining you, checking your ears, and the rest of you for injuries, but you were still scared of him, of all of them.

“Hm?”

“They’re fine.” Jaehyun assured. “I wouldn’t recommend doing that again anytime soon.”

“Obviously.” Taeyong scoffed. “Lucas, Sicheng, work together with your people to figure out how Taemin got so close without us knowing, and I want a sweep of that building as well.”

“We’ll get right on that.”

“Good. Anyway, dinner is getting cold.”

They all shuffled out of the room, but you stayed put. Moments ago everything had been so different, and now you weren’t sure who to trust. You hoped they would leave you alone, but Johnny came back a few minutes later.

“You were supposed to follow us.”

“… I’m… I’m not hungry…”

“Cool, but Taeyong wants you at the table, so let’s go.”

You knew you didn’t have a choice, so you got up and followed Johnny. The dinner room was huge, and so was the table. It was round, clearly capable of seating all of them, and a few extra. You took a seat, two strangers at either side of you. The outer ring of the table was where the plates and utensils were set, the next ring inward was a lazy susan where the food was, and the third ring in was similar and held a variety of hot and cold drinks. Everyone around you was eating, some holding small conversations, but you sat quietly.

“You should eat.”

“I’m not hungry…”

“Yeah right.”

They put some food on your plate, pouring you a glass of juice as well. They tried to feed you but you kept your mouth shut and leaned back.

“Oh… we haven’t met yet… have we?” You shook your head. “So this is probably very awkward. I’m Jungwoo, nice to meet you.”

“…”

“I guess the circumstances aren’t that nice.”

The person on the other side of you leaned over and took the food from Jungwoo, a prominent smile on his face.

“Haechan!”

“What? They weren’t going to eat it.”

“And you’re just so hungry huh?”

“Can’t let the food go to waste.”

“You’re terrible.”

During that you noticed Taeyong glancing at you, so it seemed like eating a bit was in your best interest. You forced a smile for the two boys and had a few bites. Some ate and then left the table, having other things to do, but many more stuck around. You didn’t know when you could leave, and you didn’t feel like taking a chance.

“You barely touched your food.” Kun commented. “Is there something else you wanted?”

“I… I wasn’t hungry…”

“You need to eat.”

“I’m okay.”

“Are you expecting an apology?” Taeyong suddenly asked. “Is this your little form of protests?”

“… no…”

“Good. Then we’re on the same page. You can turn in for the night whenever you want.”

Taeyong excused himself and left the room. The remaining number of boys had certainly dwindled. You did want to return to your room, but you had no idea how to get there. Your only option was to ask for directions.

“Um… excuse me…”

“Hm?”

“Can you… I don’t know how to get back to my room…”

“Right, this place is huge. I’ll take you.”

“You could just-”

“Giving you directions won’t help.”

They got up from the table, excusing themselves from the conversation they were in. You followed them out, quietly grateful.

“Are you sure you don’t want to eat anything before going to bed?”

“I’m fine…”

“Do you want some tea? To help you sleep.”

“No thanks…”

“You sure? It didn’t fail you last time. I assure you I know what I’m doing.”

“So… you must be Taeil?”

“The one and only. I guess I’ve been mentioned.”

“Your tea has.”

“It’s my specialty.”

“So… you make tea? NCT is a tech company though.”

“We are more of a corporation. I work in the pharmaceutical department.”

“Oh… right, I believe Johnny told me about you before.”

“I should apologize though, on Taeyong’s behalf.”

“I don’t need an apology.”

“But I’m sure you’d like one.”

“I’m good. Thanks for bringing me back here. Night.”

You walked into your room and shut the door, locking it as well. You knew they had keys and could get in when they wanted, but at least for the time being you could feel safe. You didn’t feel like sleeping, but you had nothing else to do. It was dark by then, and you stared out the window. A slight feeling of terror was still present, mixed with uncertainty. You didn’t know what your situation was, and there were just more and more questions coming up.

♥♥♥♥♥

After that night you stayed secluded in your room, opting to have food brought to you. Of course you wouldn’t eat much of it, but no one said anything. Sometimes you thought maybe you should explore the penthouse, get familiar with it and find an exit. Then you’d remember the security bracelet, and that it wasn’t going to come off easily. You knew it needed a fingerprint to unlock, and as far as you knew, Jaehyun was the only one who could do that. He was rarely around to begin with, so there was nothing to do hope for with that.

TV was only partially entertaining, and most of the time you’d find yourself gazing out the window. It was the only proof that life was still going on, and deep down you wondered if Taemin was watching. He found you, he scared you, and you kind of felt like he was planning something. Maybe you were being delusional, thinking a criminal would come save you. It was an even worse thought considering the nightmares persisted, and he wasn’t the only bad guy anymore. There was no one to trust, or believe in.

“May I come in?”

One day, while window gazing, there was a knock at the door. You didn’t recognize the person, and they kinda just let themselves in.

“Jaehyun sent me to check on you.”

“And you are?”

“Sungchan, I work with him. He asked me to take a look at your wrist, and head.”

“I’m fine.”

“Do you mind if I check?”

“I… sure.”

You sat on the bed, and held out your wrist. It was still wrapped up and hadn’t been giving you trouble, but might as well let a medical expert take a look. They put some pressure here and there, since you didn’t react, it seemed you were fine. 

“You know he didn’t want to do that… right?”

“Huh?”

“Hurting you… he just wanted to know.”

“Know what?”

“If Taemin truly cares about you.”

You scoffed. “I could have told him that.”

“Really? You know Taemin that well?”

“I-”

“You’ve only met with him a few times, and the last time you spoke he was threatening you.”

“So what? You guys know him?”

“We know he’s not who he claims to be.”

“Then who is he?”

“Isn’t that the question?”

“Very cryptic of you. So, what was the verdict on his emotions?”

“Unclear.”

“Great. So it was for nothing.”

“Not for nothing. In case you didn’t realize, unclear isn’t an answer.”

“And you claim he has something of yours, care to share?”

“No. The less you know, the better.”

“The less I know, the more terrified I am.”

“I know… I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but the others do want to run some tests on you.”

“Tests? For what?”

“To check on your health mostly, but to also see if they can find something.”

“Find what?”

“Anything that makes you… important.”

“Like what? Being a universal donor? Do I have a weird genetic makeup? I am a normal person with normal problems! Trust me, there’s nothing special about me.”

“I’m sure everyone would disagree. Taemin took an interest in you for a reason.”

“Maybe because I was the first person to treat him like a human being? I didn’t go into my initial interview accusing him of anything, just asking for his side of the story, and in case you didn’t read the papers or watch the news, he was innocent. All he did was trash an antique shop because… because of reasons that make sense to him.”

“He’s still a criminal.”

“Who’s been charged for multiple petty crimes, nothing serious like murder. And in case you also forgot, he, nor his servants, had anything to do with the murder of the shop owner.”

“Perhaps, but is he really an innocent man? Kidnapping sounds like a serious offense.”

“And no one knows he did it…” You admit in a somber tone. “Nor will anyone believe me… so what do you want me to do? You guys don’t seem to be any better.”

“Trust us. I know what Taeyong did isn’t the best, but it won’t happen again.”

“You can’t promise that.”

“But I can promise we won’t let Taemin get you, or hurt you.”

“You keep saying that.”

“And we mean it.”

“Whatever.”

Sungchan finished up his exam, concluding that you were doing just fine, but should be eating properly. Skipping meals wasn’t going to help you in any way.

“I’ll probably stop by tomorrow to get you.”

“For what?”

“Your tests. Or someone else will come for you.”

“Where am I going? A lab?”

“Our infirmary.”

“So I’m leaving the hotel.”

“Not quite.”

With that he left you, and once again you were alone with your thoughts. You wondered if maybe you could talk to one of the higher ups again, get some more answers, but given the last time, and the lack of people in the penthouse, you doubted it. Besides, they never really told you anything, just vague answers and empty reassurances. By the next day you had forgotten about Sungchan’s visit until he showed up.

“Have you eaten?”

“No…”

“Good, so we can start right away. Let’s go.”

You followed Sungchan, expecting to leave the penthouse, but instead went to another room, a big one. It certainly looked like a lab, but also a doctors office, and you couldn’t believe they just had one in their house. Sungchan gestured for you to take a seat.

“We can start with some blood samples.”

You’ve never had a problem going to the doctors office before, but you weren’t sure this guy was a doctor, or even had a medical license. For some reason it seemed like he read your mind, and ease your concerns a bit.

“I am a doctor, by the way.”

“Sure…”

“I work under NCT, they can’t just hire me to work in the science division with Jaehyun unless I was a doctor.”

“You’re pretty young to be a doctor.”

“Fast learner, but I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Sungchan brought over a tray with a needle and some vials. He grabbed your arm and did everything a doctor would before inserting the needle.

“So what… what exactly are you going to do with my blood?”

“Honestly, you can just think of this as a regular check up. When was the last time you saw your physician?”

“It’s been a while. I’ve never really been sick so I never saw a reason to go.”

“Probably not the best idea. You need to check up on your health.”

“I’ve been fine.”

After drawing blood he went through a few other checks, and you seemed to be fine. While in the infirmary some other boys would come in and out, getting something or dropping something off. It seemed busy, but you knew very little of the company.

“Do you guys work from home?”

“On occasion.”

“So… why a hotel? Why not a mansion?”

“A hotel is safer. It’s public, not much can happen without someone noticing.”

“Except kidnapping.”

“You’re never gonna let that go.”

“Nope.”

“Fine. We’re done, so if you want to go back to your room and sulk, you can.”

“Good, cause I have been ready to leave for a while now.”

You got up and walked out, not having thought over your actions. You had no idea where in the house you were, and you did not wanna go back in there like a fool. It seemed you were finally going to explore the penthouse. After only a few minutes you felt like you were in a maze, and to make matters worse, you hadn’t heard or seen anyone. There were a few distinguishing features so you knew you weren’t going in circles, but you still had no idea where you were going.

At that point you started trying to open doors, hoping to find someone. Most were locked, but you finally came across an open room. You found yourself in someone’s bedroom, and it was just as big as yours. It was better than the halls, and you were a bit curious to learn something about any of them. You no longer had a phone or internet access, so there wasn’t really a way to look more into your captors.

The room was pretty simple, and you started opening the drawers. Professional clothes, undergarments, it all seemed normal, until you found this other button like device, similar to what’s been used on you before. You carefully grabbed it, scared of accidentally setting it off. Now that you could get a closer look, you became very curious. You’ve seen one used before, but you’ve never seen or heard about anything like it before. As far as you could tell, this was a weapon of some sort.

You tried to see if there was anything more you could learn from it when it suddenly lit up. A scream escaped your lips and you immediately dropped it. You waited for the painful screeching but it never came. Once you realized you were safe you slowly approached the device and turned it over. It wasn’t just lit up, but projecting something. You looked up at the ceiling, slowly making out stars and planets, and that this was the map of some galaxy, maybe your own but you couldn’t be sure.

You kinda wish you knew more about astrology to figure out what you were looking at. When you picked up the device the projection changed, and then everything was around you, but more importantly it was labelled. Planets, galaxies, it all seemed to have a name with some information, but it didn’t seem to be in a language you understood. Then there were also a few folders being displayed. The only one you could make out was labelled EXO. You were about to click on it when the door opened, startling you and causing you to drop the device.

“What the hell are you doing in here!” You didn’t recognize the person. “Where did you get that?”

“I… I was… lost and…”

They grabbed your arm and shoved you out of the room, slamming the door in your face. You stood in place for a moment, not sure what to do next. You had questions, and you had half a mind to knock, but you also didn’t want to push your luck. Regardless, you were back to square one, alone in the halls, well, maybe not alone. The commotion had drawn some attention, and you noticed Haechan peek out of one of the rooms down the hall.

“What are you doing?”

“I… nothing I suppose.”

“Did Mark just get back?”

“Who?”

“You’re standing in front of his door.”

“Oh… yeah… yeah I guess he just got back.”

“Did you piss him off or something?”

“Maybe…”

“Nice one. So, you exploring?”

“More or less.”

“And let me guess, you’re lost.”

“This place is huge…”

“It is. I keep telling Taeyong to put a map in the halls, if someone gets drunk, they rarely find their way back to their room.”

“Is it that bad?”

“Not really, but when you’re wasted you could wind up everywhere that’s not your bed.”

“I can imagine.”

“You wanna watch a movie? I can go set up the projector and get some popcorn.”

“You have a projector in your room?”

“No, I meant go down to the home theater room.”

“You have a what now?”

“Come on, I’ll show you.”

Haechan walked down the hall, passing you and taking your arm, not wanting you to get lost. You certainly didn’t take note of where you were going and then walked into a small theater. You were amazed they even had something like that. Haechan went off to get everything set up while you looked around. For a moment you could pretend you were out in the world.

“How’d you get in here?”

Two other boys walked into the theater, mountain of snacks in hand. More strangers and you were getting concerned over how many people you were living with. Haechan came back and the two turned their attention to him.

“We’re gonna watch something! Get out!”

“I was here first!”

“I’m older!”

“Not mentally!”

“It’s okay.” You spoke up. “We can watch whatever they want to. I’m good with anything.”

“You sure?” Haechan asked. “I can kick them out.”

“This place is big enough for all of us.”

“Okay, fine.”

Haechan grabbed a snack bag and sat down, a little pouty. The two others picked a movie and offered you snacks as well. Later on they introduced themselves, Jisung and Chenle, apparently they worked with Sicheng. The movie was nice, it felt like being out with friends, but in the end they left. Although you realized Haechan had passed out at some point. You were about to wake him when you realized his phone on the seat next to him.

You grabbed the phone, thinking of checking something real quick, but it needed a fingerprint to unlock. You carefully grabbed his hand and unlocked his phone. You went on the internet, just wanting to know what you saw. You searched up the stars and planets nearby, using the phone’s projection feature. It took a bit, but you came to the conclusion that what you saw earlier wasn’t a map of Earth or the galaxy it was in, but something completely different. 

You had no way of actually figuring out what you saw, and when Haechan moved around you quickly put the phone down and made your way out. Of course with no directions you’d probably wind up roaming the halls again, but you saw Chenle coming back. He probably forgot something, but you could ask him to take you back to your room.

“Where’s Jisung?”

“Game room, I was gonna ask if you wanted to join us.”

“Oh… that’s great, but I’m pretty tired. Sungchan drew blood, so I should probably rest.

“Okay.

“Can you… can you take me back to my room?”

“Sure. Follow me.”

You could never tell how long it takes to get from one room to another, but you were glad to be somewhere familiar. You thanked him and entered your room, planning to take a shower, and most likely take a nap too. Although as soon as you entered you realized you weren’t alone, another boy at the window.

“Ah, good you’re here.”

Before you could ask they grabbed you and brought you over to the window, having you stand in an all too familiar place.

“What-”

“Where was the red dot coming from?”

“Huh?”

“The red dot, from the rifle. Do you remember where it was coming from?”

“Uh… there…” You pointed to one of the buildings. “I think…”

“Okay.” He took note of that. “Why’d you answer the phone?”

“The caller ID said it was my editor… I was worried something was wrong. What is this all about?”

“Just trying to figure out how Taemin got close.”

“So he slipped under your radar?”

“He tends to do that to everyone, but of course he can’t get into this hotel without us knowing.”

“Have you found anything?”

“Sicheng and I have been looking through nearby surveillance, see if he pops up. Nothing yet.”

“You work with Sicheng?”

“Yup, I’m Renjun by the way, don’t think we’ve met yet.”

“No… no we haven’t…”

“So you’re looking for Taemin?”

“We have been, for a long time now.”

“He’s been arrested multiple times.”

“And as NCT we can’t really get close, it’d be weird. So we need to do this from the shadows.”

“You said you’ve been after him for a long time, how come you haven’t caught him?”

“He’s tricky, and it’s not as easy as you might think.”

“Clearly.”

You moved away from the window and sat down in bed, letting Renjun finish his little investigation. When he had what he wanted he left, and you showered, then tucked in for a nap. It wasn’t easy sleeping anymore, but you did your best to try. Napping had become more of a habit, just trying to get in a few good moments of sleep. For the most part it worked since no one seemed to notice your exhaustion. Then again, they didn’t see you much.

♥♥♥♥♥

You were always expected to join them for dinner, regardless of who was around. Everything you were quiet, even if some tried to make conversation. Although tonight was different. Kun suddenly walked in, but he didn’t seem happy.

“Taeyong, we have a problem.”

“Define problem.”

“Ten and I have been dealing with calls and messages from investors all day.”

“Why. What’s going on?”

“They’re demanding a proper exposition and explanation of the NEO X.”

“What?”

“Many of them actually brought up y/n’s article. Asking why a reporter knew more about the NEO X than they did.”

Taeyong glared at you. “Seriously? Your article?”

“It’s not my fault. You lured me into your trap with an exclusive interview. If you want to be mad at someone, it should be Johnny, he’s the one who told me about the phone.”

“Ya!” Johnny yelled. “Sicheng was also there!”

“What the hell!” Sicheng countered. “The interview was your idea! You said it was fine!”

“Quiet.” Taeyong hissed. “Both of you. Kun, what did you tell them?”

“That the situation needed to be discussed with you and the others. No one was given a straight answer. So, what do you want to do?”

“You said a lot of the investors called?”

“About eighty percent of them.”

“So one of them was upset and got in contact with many others. I’m sure the rest will speak up in the coming days.” Taeyong pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yuta.”

“Hm?”

“I’m gonna need you to shift your focus on the NEO X presentation.”

“We’re not even where we want to be for an exposition.”

“Nearly all our investors are demanding one. If we want the launch to go smoothly, we need to make sure there are no problems beforehand. How long do you need?”

“I… um… I need to look at the NEO X and see where we are to figure out how an exposition would work.”

“I need a date by tomorrow morning.”

“Fuck you.”

Yuta shoved a bunch of food in his mouth and then excused himself from the room. Shotaro quickly followed, knowing very well it was going to be a long night.

“I’ll help.” Sicheng volunteered. “They’re also gonna be needing a lot of coffee. So see y’all in the morning.”

It grew quiet as Taeyong contemplated, but things were already in motion. You didn’t feel guilty, if anything a bit amused that your article had caused some trouble for him. It wouldn’t even exist if they hadn’t needed a reason to get you alone. You thought that dinner was the last you’d hear about this exposition, but it wasn’t. The next night Johnny and another boy, YangYang, were in your room, taking your measurements.

“This isn’t necessary. I have-”

“Nothing you have is appropriate.” YangYang countered. “So we’ll have something tailor made for you.”

“Why? This is just a phone exposition. Why do I need to be there?”

“Cause the rest of us do, and we’re not leaving you up here by yourself.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I know you’ve fallen in love with this room, but we’re not gonna leave you by yourself.” Johnny explained. “Besides, the exposition is in the hotel, you can get a change of scenery and socialize.”

“But why do I need tailor made clothes? It’s an exposition, not some gala.”

“A lot of important people will be present, so you need to be dressed appropriately.”

“And what’s my reason for being there? Unless this is a public event?”

“There’s a guest list, and there are no exceptions. I’m sure Taeyong would let you write an article on the event.”

“My last one is the reason for this whole thing.”

“Yeah, pretty funny isn’t it?”

“When is this expo again?”

“Two days. You’ll have your outfit for the night tomorrow. Someone can help you with everything else when the time comes.”

“Everything else?”

“Accessories and makeup. Your clothes aren’t the only thing that needs to be appropriate.”

“So… I’m gonna be able to leave the penthouse?”

“Yeah, you’ll still have the bracelet on, for security reasons. Your range will just be the entire hotel, keep in mind it does have a tracker on it, so don’t think we’ll lose you.”

“Cause that makes me feel better.”

Everyone was very busy with preparations for the expo. The venue below had to be properly set up, there needed to be big security measures. It wasn’t just about the prototypes of the NEO X that will be present but because you would be there too. The guest list had to be made, and all people needed to be approved. As well as get the news of the expo out to the public, so certain reporters can be allowed in.

The press conference about a week ago was certainly a new experience and now there was this. You were probably the best person to cover the expo regardless since you did have some experience with the NEO X. Day of YangYang was with you to help you dress. You’ve certainly never dressed like this before, and felt weird wearing hundreds of dollars.

“I don’t have to tell you not to try anything, right?”

“What am I gonna say? Help NCT kidnapped me?” You held up your wrist. “I’m also still wearing this. I know I can’t leave the hotel grounds.”

“Good. Do enjoy yourself though.”

“I’ll try… I am technically working.”

“True, so no drinking.”

“I know.”

Everyone else was extremely well dressed, and you finally found the exit. You were taken to an elevator and headed down. The event hadn’t begun yet, so the venue was mostly empty. The boys were looking over last minute details and you were off to the side, mentally preparing yourself and still not being completely comfortable in your clothes.

“How about a drink. To calm your nerves.”

“I shouldn’t be drinking alcohol.”

“It’s soda. Sugar and caffeine can help too.”

“Says who?”

“Me. It’s a new strategy.” They held out the glass. “Xiaojun by the way. I believe this is the first time we’ve spoken.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“I heard YangYang helped you prepare.”

“Yup, he sure knows how to doll someone up.”

“You do look lovely.”

“Thanks… you guys look pretty good yourself.”

“I know you’ve been with us for a while, but have you met everyone?”

“I think… I don’t know…”

“Well, what better time to learn than a party.”

As the event began and people crowded in, Xiaojun stayed with you and pointed out to his associates. It seemed that you did know everyone except for Hendery. Apparently he, Xiaojun, and YangYang were in charge of the genetics division under Jaehyun. They probably got one of your blood samples, but you didn’t want to ask, especially with all kinds of people around who could overhear.

You enjoyed the food and drinks, taking some time to actually pay attention to the expo and see what’s new with the NEO X if anything. There was certainly a lot of excitement in the air, the new phone had a lot of potential and was certainly going to change the game. You didn’t have something to take notes with, but you could probably ask them for details and stuff later. So besides being an expo, it was kinda a party with investors. Once the initial expo was over many who weren’t associated with NCT were asked to leave.

Now it felt like a gala and you wanted to leave. It was also getting petty late, so you figured they’d let you, but you were still going to need someone to escort you. Off in the distance you noticed Haechan and Jaemin together, starting to approach. They seemed concerned about something and then disappeared into another room. You were back to square one and it seemed like none of the boys were around. As you were about to return to your search someone grabbed your hand and pulled you along.

All you could see was the back of someone’s head. Given what you had seen moments ago, you figured one of them had already made the decision to escort you out. After all the expo was over and what was going on now was more of an NCT and investors only party, so you probably shouldn’t be around. Last time you were in one of those private events, you got kidnapped, so you just followed. You left the venue, but instead of heading to the elevator you were taken to another room.

“You look lovely.”

You froze, realizing this wasn’t one of the boys. A bunch of questions came to mind, but you couldn’t articulate any of them.

“Ha… how…”

“I have my ways, how have you been?” Taemin grabbed your arm, examining the bracelet. “Safe I presume.”

“… I suppose…”

“Are you enjoying the night? Quite an event, it’s hard to get in.”

“How are you here? They had a strict-”

“This is still a hotel, a public place, and they don’t control everything and everyone.”

“Are you… are you here to get me out?”

“Would you like that?”

“I… I don’t know…”

“How’s your head? Taeyong was quite cruel the last I heard.”

“I’m fine… no damage…”

“Good. I’d hate to see you cry because of another man.”

“If… if you’re not here for me… then why are you here? They’re trying to catch you, it’s dangerous, and stupid-”

“Awe.” Taemin cupped your cheek. “Are you worried about me?”

“I…”

“You don’t need to be. It won’t be easy for them to get to me, promise.”

“Still..”

“I am here for a reason little bird, and I won’t be sticking around for long. I wanted to check on you though, it’s been a while. Which reminds me, I should thank you for your help in my case.”

“Oh… it was nothing… I was just helping…”

“That you did. May I ask you for a dance?”

“Ah… there’s no music…”

“It’s not needed.”

Taemin took your hand and pulled you close, grabbing your waist. There wasn’t any music, but you swayed back and forth with him, following a slow song in your head. That was probably the first time you were ever asked to dance. You didn’t notice but Taemin was slowly moving you back until you were near a table. Before you knew it he picked you up and sat you down on it, making you yelp.

“Easy, don’t get too excited now.”

“Wa… what are you doing?”

“I need a little favor.”

“A favor?”

Taemin reached into his pocket and pulled out a small case, revealing a needle. You gave him a confused look, and he chuckled.

“I need to draw some blood.”

“Blood? Why?”

“It’s hard to explain.”

He didn’t really wait for an answer, grabbing your arm and looking for a vein. You knew he was going to do it anyway, but he was nice enough to ask.

“They… they drew blood as well…”

“Hm?”

“NCT… Sungchan… he took some blood too…”

“Interesting. Are you getting along with them?” 

“Not really…”

“I suppose it is hard to get along with those who’ve hurt you. My fault though, I should have kept you safe from the beginning. May I offer some advice?”

“… sure…”

“Do whatever you need to do in order to be comfortable. You can’t hurt me little bird, so look after yourself in my absence.”

Taemin kissed your arm, where the needle had gone in, getting a little drop of blood on his lips. He held up a vial, making sure it was what he wanted.

“I-”

A gunshot suddenly went off, the little vial exploding, pieces of glass and blood sprinkling your face, Taemin’s as well. You looked over to see Shotaro at the door, holding up a gun. Before you could even register anything another shot went off, but Taemin was already on the move, avoiding a bullet. He left the room through another door, and you stayed put in shock.

“Are you alright?”

Shotaro carefully grabbed your face, firstly making sure you hadn’t gotten any glass in your eyes, and then gently getting the other pieces off of you. Although you eventually came back to yourself and shoved him back.

“You shot me!”

“I did not.”

“You could have hit me!”

“I don’t miss.”

“You missed the first time!”

“I wasn’t aiming for Taemin.”

“What?”

Others came in, and Shotaro explained to them what had happened. Moments before Taemin had taken you out of the venue, NCT was aware of a possible security breach, apparently having spotted one of Taemin’s associates. They tried looking for you in the venue, but given its size they couldn’t be sure if you were there. Once they checked your location with the bracelet, Shotaro was the closest one.

“Take them upstairs.” Doyoung ordered. “And have someone check over their injuries.”

Hendery and Xiaojun wound up escorting you back up to the penthouse, and to the infirmary. Moments later Jaehyun came in, undoing his tie and cleaning your wounds. Only a few little pieces of glass had cut you, so the wounds were very minor. He was disinfecting the cuts when Taeyong burst in.

“What happened?”

“They”

“I wasn’t asking you, Jae.” Taeyong locked eyes with you. “What were you doing?”

“Nothing… I was looking for one of you guys, so I could go to bed, when I was grabbed. I thought it was one of you until we went into another room…”

“What happened then?”

“We talked, he asked if I was doing well… and then asked to draw some blood. I didn’t really say anything, he just did… then Shotaro came in and shot me.”

“He’s a perfect marksman, he doesn’t miss.”

“Well he did.”

“Besides the blood he didn’t hurt you, right?”

“No. I’m fine.”

“He didn’t tell you anything else?”

“No.”

“And you’re not lying to me?”

“Why would I? He wasn’t here to get me, he just wanted a blood sample or something.”

“He wasn’t here for you?”

“No. In case you didn’t notice I’m still on house arrest.” You held up your wrist. “He didn’t care about me.”

“That’s what you think.”

“Taeyong.” Taeil came into the room. “We have a problem.”

“He got away right? Where’s Lucas? I need to know how the hell he got in and out!”

“Tae-”

“And his associates. Is anyone else from the venue-”

“Taeyong!”

“What!”

“He didn’t leave empty handed.”

“What?”

“Haechan, Jaemin, and Jeno… are missing… everyone else, even guests, have been accounted for.”

“How did he take them?”

“We’re not sure. Sicheng and Renjun are checking security footage now.”

“Did you know about this?” Taeyong spat at you. “Did he-”

“No! I told you he wasn’t here for me! I guess he was after your people.”

“Find him, find them, now!”

♥♥♥♥♥

After an exciting night Taemin made it back to the place he called home. Upon walking in he was greeted by his servants, all bowing and remaining silent. As he walked past, two followed him to his room, but remained outside, waiting for when they would be needed. He wasn’t injured, besides the pieces of glass and blood on his face. There was a knock at his door and Onew let himself in.

“Did you get what I asked for?”

“Yes.”

“Was it difficult?”

“There was a little fight, but Minho and Jonghyun enjoyed themselves. I was informed of gunfire, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Prepare our guests, I’ll be down momentarily.”

“Of course.”

Onew excused himself and Taemin went to the nearest mirror. He plucked out the pieces of glass from his face, his wounds healing immediately. He had a small amount of your blood on his face. It wasn’t what he wanted, but he figured it was enough. He opened his dresser and grabbed a black box, placing it on a nearby table and opening it up to reveal the diamond from the antique shop. He admired it for a moment before getting some of your blood on his fingers and then smearing it on the diamond. For a moment nothing happened, but then the blood on the diamond glowed and turned to silver colored liquid. The change brought a smile to his face.

“My little bird is special indeed.”


End file.
